That the following actions be taken with respect to the communication from Councillor D. Ferreira regarding systemic concerns with for-profit addiction treatment in Ontario:
a) the Mayor and the Civic Administration BE REQUESTED to write a letter to the Ontario Ministry of Health, the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario, and the Ontario College of Pharmacists; and
b) the Mayor BE REQUESTED to formally advocate to the Province of Ontario, including through appropriate municipal and intergovernmental channels, for the following:
i) that the Province and relevant regulatory bodies undertake an immediate review of high-volume, for-profit addiction treatment and dispensing models operating in Ontario;
ii) that the Province strengthen oversight, establish clear standards for integrated care, including aftercare, clinical oversight, coordination with broader health and social supports, and access to medically supervised detoxification services, and reform current policy frameworks governing prescribing and dispensing practices;
iii) that the Province transition away from private, for-profit drug dispensing models toward a publicly funded and publicly operated model fully integrated within the healthcare system, with a focus on long-term recovery, stability, and patient outcomes; and
iv) that, as part of this transition, these high-volume, for-profit drug dispensing models operating in London and across Ontario be phased out and replaced with a publicly funded, fully integrated healthcare model that delivers comprehensive addiction treatment without gaps in care;
it being noted that the Strategic Priorities and Policy Committee received the following communications with respect to this matter:
- a communication from Councillor D. Ferreira;
- a communication from D. Callaghan;
- a communication from V. Smith, Interim Executive Director, Downtown London;
- a communication from D. Weir, Co-Founder/CEO, Forest City Healing Centre;
- a communication from MA Hodge;
- a communication from P. Skidmore-Skuce;
- a communication from H. Elmslie;
- a communication from J. Langford;
- a communication from B. Gallo;
- a communication from M. Fitzgerald;
- a communication from MB Blokker;
- a communication from R. Patrick;
- a communication from M. Judson;
- a communication from T. Dunlop;
- a communication from P. McIntryre, Director, The Board of Directors of 600 Talbot Street;
- a communication from T. Davies;
- a communication from K. Kelly;
- a communication from H. Chapman;
- a communication from A. Ortiz;
- a communication from J. Bancroft-Snell;
- a communication from D. Robinson, Professor, Associate Dean, Undergraduate, Faculty of Information and Media Studies, Western University;
- a communication from Becca A;
- a communication from AM Valastro;
- a communication from S. Curtis-Norcross;
- a communication from J. Jacobson;
- a communication from P. Bergmanis, Co-Chair, London Health Coalition;
- a communication from L. Maniago;
- a communication from J. Elliot;
- a communication from B. Henry;
- a communication from P. Seale; and
- a communication from B. Samuels.
it being further noted that the Strategic Priorities and Policy Committee heard a verbal delegation from Peter Bergmanis, Co-Chair, London Health Coalition with respect to this matter.