
Counterfeit ‘dillies' with fentanyl analog circulating in Kamloops, B.C. officials warn
The counterfeits contain unknown quantities of a fentanyl analog called N-propionyl para-fluoronorfentanyl, Interior Health said in a public alert Thursday.
'It does not contain hydromorphone,' the health authority warned. 'Be aware of risk of fakes, if not purchasing from a pharmacy.'
Officials also released images of the counterfeit tablets, and urged anyone with similar-looking drugs to get them tested before using them.
The drugs are sometimes being sold as Dilaudid, a brand name for hydromorphone, and its street name 'dillies,' Interior Health said.
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CTV News
24-07-2025
- CTV News
Counterfeit ‘dillies' with fentanyl analog circulating in Kamloops, B.C. officials warn
Health officials have issued a warning about counterfeit hydromorphone tablets circulating in the Kamloops, B.C., area that pose a high risk of overdose. The counterfeits contain unknown quantities of a fentanyl analog called N-propionyl para-fluoronorfentanyl, Interior Health said in a public alert Thursday. 'It does not contain hydromorphone,' the health authority warned. 'Be aware of risk of fakes, if not purchasing from a pharmacy.' Officials also released images of the counterfeit tablets, and urged anyone with similar-looking drugs to get them tested before using them. The drugs are sometimes being sold as Dilaudid, a brand name for hydromorphone, and its street name 'dillies,' Interior Health said.


Winnipeg Free Press
16-07-2025
- Winnipeg Free Press
B.C. health minister praises U.S. recruitment, says 780 applications in 2 months
VANCOUVER – British Columbia's health minister says the province has received almost 780 job applications from qualified American health professionals as part of its recruitment campaign. Josie Osborne says more than 2,250 doctors, nurses and other health professionals have signed up for webinars and expressed interest in working in B.C. since March. Bylaw changes implemented by the College of Physicians and Surgeons of B.C. this month mean U.S.-trained doctors can become fully licensed in B.C., without further assessment if they hold certifications from various American medical boards. Osborne says that means Canadian doctors trained in the U.S. can 'come home' and the path also becomes easier for American physicians. The minister says the college is also considering more changes that would give internationally trained physicians a pathway to practise, if they completed a minimum of two years of postgraduate training in family medicine in the United States, Australia, United Kingdom or Ireland. It would also make it simpler if they have completed postgraduate training and certification in certain specialties from Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Singapore, South Africa, Switzerland, the U.K. or Ireland. Wednesdays Columnist Jen Zoratti looks at what's next in arts, life and pop culture. A statement from the Health Ministry says of the 780 job applications received between May and June, 181 are for Interior Health, 154 for Fraser Health and 121 for Vancouver Coastal Health. This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 16, 2025


CBC
13-07-2025
- CBC
Some pediatric services to resume at Kelowna General Hospital after 6-week closure of unit
Social Sharing Some pediatric services will resume at Kelowna General Hospital (KGH) on Sunday, six weeks after the inpatient general pediatrics unit closed due to a doctor shortage. The closure first began on May 26 at the 10-bed inpatient unit, prompting a group of pediatricians to come forward and say there were poor working conditions and a lack of communication at the hospital. Physicians and the Opposition B.C. Conservative Party were sharply critical of the province and the Interior Health Authority, and the authority's CEO stepped down a few weeks after the closure was announced. This week, Interior Health said elective pediatric surgeries and some diagnostic procedures for children would resume at the hospital. The unit will also begin admitting patients to the pediatric unit during daytime hours. Dr. Mark Masterson, the vice-president of medicine for Interior Health, said the authority would be phasing in services in a way that would be safe for patients and sustainable for doctors. "We have a schedule now with consistent coverage during the days, and that's allowed us to change," he told Chris Walker, host of CBC's Daybreak South, on Friday. "We've been able to accomplish this both with the pediatricians in the community who have been [serving on locums] over time ... as well as the pediatricians who've been working at KGH in a full time and permanent capacity." WATCH | Interior Health CEO resigns: Interior Health CEO steps down amid Kelowna pediatric unit closure 16 days ago Duration 3:30 Interior Health CEO Susan Brown is stepping down months ahead of her scheduled retirement, amid an ongoing closure of the Kelowna General Hospital's pediatric unit and calls for her resignation. Brady Strachan has the details. Masterson said that the authority would have four new doctors join KGH over the summer and fall, and two of them would be arriving earlier than expected. The doctor acknowledged that some patients would still need to be transferred to other hospitals within Interior Health, or to B.C. Children's Hospital in Vancouver, if it is deemed medically necessary. Interior Health said that, to date, 22 patients were transferred to other hospitals in the region, and seven were taken to B.C. Children's Hospital. However, the health authority says it expects the number of pediatric transfers to decrease as it resumes services at KGH. During the six-week closure, critical care services for children, including the emergency department and neonatal intensive care unit, remained open. Only general admissions were affected, according to Interior Health. Concerns over workload Earlier in June, Dr. Alysha MacKenzie-Feder told CBC News she and six other pediatricians left the hospital in 2023 because of years of unmanageable caseloads. "It's not that there is a shortage of physicians, it's that the system doesn't exist for them to work safely and sustainably," Mackenzie-Feder said previously. In response to the physician's concerns, Masterson said he acknowledged their frustration, and said the authority was making changes to ensure doctors' voices would be heard. "Over the last while, we have been working very closely with the pediatricians on what we've been referring to as splitting the service," he said. "And so working to have enough staff available at any given time so that there are two pediatricians available to the site." The doctor also said the authority was planning to bring in associate physicians this summer, after licensing changes to allow them to practice in B.C. under the supervision of a senior physician. "This is going to be an ongoing process, and we're going to continue to work on building and improving clinical services, not just in pediatrics, but in the other departments and not just at KGH," he said.