Job Opportunity: Vancouver Coastal Health is looking to hire a temporary, full-time Drug Checking Technician (Vancouver)
Salary range: $24.38-26.42. Term: As soon as possible through until March 31, 2020.
The incumbent will work at various overdose prevention and community sites alongside peer staff providing drug checking and harm reduction services.
An FTIR spectrometer will be used for drug checking and intensive spectrometer training will be provided to the successful candidate.
If you would like to apply, please submit your application online here: https://careers-vch.icims.com/jobs/105743/drug-checking-technician/job
If you have any questions, please feel free to email overdoseresponse@vch.ca
Drug Checking Alert: Carfentanil and Etizolam sold as Fentanyl - September 11th
A client came into Insite right before close with a sample of expected fentanyl. The substance appearance was dark purple pebbles, but they were very hard in texture. A picture is attached (pebbles appear grey in the image)
The FTIR results were caffeine and inositol.
Fentanyl test strip was negative but became positive after repeating with a more concentrated solution.
Benzo test strip was positive when using a concentrated solution.
BCCSU Drug Technician reports that this is a likely hit for carfentanil and etizolam—a combo we have seen multiple times before via confirmatory testing. A sample of this substance was saved for confirmatory testing and will be sent next week. There is not any additional info about where this substance was purchased.
Other Drug awareness:
There was an OD near SisterSpace an Sereena's House on Dunlevy St. in the DTES, Vancouver. A drug named Xylazine - which is a sedative (not an opioid), caused a severe OD. The manager of Sereena's house was one of the 6 responders who intervened to help reverse this difficult overdose, which took 8 doses of naloxone to reverse. Thankfully, the person survived but it was reported as one of the hardest responses to an OD the responders had encountered.
The monthly drug checking report from BCCSU is now shared for August online here.
BCCSU/ VCH Drug Checking schedule:
Spectrometer: There is currently a reduced drug checking schedule with the spectrometer at the sites but test strips are still being used. A regular updated drug checking schedule is due to be back up and running today. Thank you for your patience! It will be shared on the drug checking blog, so keep an eye out!
BCCSU are still operating their drug-checking spectrometer shifts on the following days:
Tuesday – Molson OPS – 1-5
Wednesday – Insite – 3-7 and Safepoint – 10.30-5 (Abbotsford)
Friday – St. Paul’s Hospital – 1-4
Supplies: To order any additional supplies email Jen Prest (Jennifer.prest@vch.ca)
Please let her know in plenty of time in advance when supplies are low so there is ample time to deliver new supplies to your site, thank you.
I second that!! We are going to miss you Kyle!! All the best in your future and thank you for all you did to help support the Overdose Emergency Response team with Drug Checking! You star. :)
Hi All;
Just wanted to drop a note to wish our VCH Drug Checking Tech and my close colleague, Kyle Besaw, all the best in his new ventures!
Kyle joined the VCH Overdose Emergency Response Team about a year ago and has been been bringing the spectrometer out to Overdose Prevention Society, St. Paul's Hospital OPS, Powell Street Getaway OPS, SisterSpace OPS and Insite occasionally. He's also been involved with drug checking pop-ups that have happened in partnership with Health Initiative for Men and at Robert and Lily Lee Family CHC.
He has been a compassionate harm reduction service provider and has made strong connections with many Drug Checking Expert peer colleagues and community staff folks.
We'll miss having him on our team but know that he's going to be amazing in his new role as a Youth Outreach Worker.
All the best to you Kyle!