Sudbury fentanyl patch abuse surpasses oxycodone as drug of choice

Morning North5:32Combating fentanyl abuse

Greater Sudbury Police is looking at implementing a fentanyl patch return program to help combat abuse of the prescription painkiller. Staff Sergeant Allan Asunmaa was in our studio to talk more about the strategy.​

Sudbury Police is looking at implementing a policy to curb fentanyl abuse.

The program would require users of the prescription painkiller to return their used patches before they can get new ones.

On the streets of Sudbury, fentanyl has surpassed oxycodone as the drug of choice. During the last two years, police have seen an 11,000 per cent increase in the amount of trafficked fentanyl patches seized. 

Detective Sergeant Barry Ramsay said drug traffickers are currently turning in counterfeit fentanyl patches and prescriptions to pharmacies.

"Where we've taken enforcement in one area, often they'll find methods to circumvent the enforcement strategies,” he said.

Ramsay noted traffickers are importing the drug from other cities where the patch return policy is not in place.

Deputy police chief Al Lekun said he believes this program would decrease the number of overdoses and crimes associated with the drug.

But he says provincial legislation is needed to cut down on its misuse.

Nipissing MPP Victor Fedeli has introduced a private member's bill to legislate the program across the province.

“We do know that the patch-for-patch program, to make it even more effective, has to exist across the province, so that you don't have individuals going from one community to the next where the programs don't exist,” Fedeli said.

In his riding, which encompasses North Bay, police have already implemented the program.

But their efforts are being diminished by drug traffickers who are now counterfeiting fentanyl patches and prescriptions, as well as importing the drug into North Bay from cities that don't have the patch return policy.

"Unless you have every community in Ontario that follows the patch-for-patch exchange program, there's always going to be a loophole, Fedeli said.

A spokesperson for the Minister of Health tells CBC News that it is monitoring the effectiveness of the program where it's already in place.