Collaborative Mentorship Network for Chronic Pain and Addiction

The BC Centre for Disease Control is pleased to share the new videos developed in partnership with BCCSU to support the print resource on tablet filtration for safer injection.

• This resource is for anyone who is injecting tablet medications (pills) and would like to do so more safely.

• Tablets medications (pills) from a pharmacy are less likely to cause an overdose compared to drugs or pills from the illicit market - this is because the dose and contents of prescribed medications are known.

• Tablet medications contain fillers (e.g. coatings and powders) that can cause harm when injected, such as serious infections, abscesses and damage to the veins, skin, heart, and lungs. These risks can be reduced by using harm reduction supplies, including filters.

• We recommend using a Sterifilt FAST 15mm filter when available.  If a Sterifilt filter is not available, we recommend using a cotton filter that comes with the cookers ordered through the provincial harm reduction supply distribution program to filter tablets before injection.