Patients fighting drug addiction say they need more than medication to recover

Sitting inside a clinic in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside, Stan Kozickiis waiting to see his doctor for a methadone refill.

The former stone mason says he's been trying to recover from his opioid addiction for years but it's "not really" working.

Kozicki is among the more-than 30,000 British Columbians undergoing opioid agonist therapy (OAT), amedically assisted form of treatment for people with opioid use disorder.

Doctors prescribe drugs like methadone or suboxone, which help patients minimizewithdrawal symptoms, find stabilityand work towardrecovery.

In June, the B.C. government expanded access toOAT medications for anyone with MSP coverage but themove made little differenceto Kozicki, who says there are other supports thatwould help him more.

WATCH | The full interviewwith Lien Yeungbelow, or on CBC Vancouver News at 6p.m.PT on CBC TV:

Vancouverites with opioid addiction open up about their struggle to recover

1 year ago

Duration 11:02

B.C. recently made opioid agonist treatment medications, which help curb opioid withdrawal symptoms and pain, free for anyone covered under MSP. But some say they need much more than just prescriptions.

This includesthe right mix of medications to meet his withdrawal needs, for example. Kozicki says hisaddiction has intensified over the years, shifting with the toxic drugs flooding the streets.

"It's quite hard to get off of it because it's fentanyl now. It's not heroin," he says. "It's a lot stronger of adrug to get off ofI've tried."

Kozickireceivesprescriptionsof hydromorphonepills, a form of safer supply, but he wishes he haddouble the dosage to offset the fast-acting, intense lure of fentanyl.

His doctor empathizes with Kozicki's struggle with OAT.

"I think that the tools I have right now fall short for a lot of patients," says Dr. Jay Wortman,medical director of Pacific Oak Clinic.

Wortman says the treatment was probably more effective before fentanyl became common and heroin, a weaker opioid,was the primary concern.

Kozickialso points to the need forhousing options, which would includehealth-support workers and other services to address the needs of people struggling with addiction.

"Everybody in my building uses it because I live right on Hastings,everybody in my building uses," he said.

"It's hard to get away. I haveto get out of this area to do it."

Kassor Kassandra, who only goes by her first name, is also a patient of Wortman's and lives in the Downtown Eastside. She says she shares Kozicki'sconcerns.

She says she's "stuck in a rut," and while the medicationsare helpingto provide hermore stability, her recovery journey is stunted by the lack of housing optionsoutside the DTES.

"'Cause all your friends are addicts, you're an addict," she said, during a visit toPacific Oak Clinic. "If you're with people who are doing dope, you're probably going to do it too."

During the visit, she brought her boyfriend who is also struggling with anopioid addiction in hopes of introducinghim to OAT.

But Wortman says even he recognizes medicinealoneisn't enough, and thatproper nutrition, counselling and a strong support network are also necessities forpeople working towardrecovery.

"It is relatively easy to get someone onto an opiate agonist therapy," he said.

"But all these other supports that are, I would say even more importantor harder to access,housing in particular."