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Expert Advisory Group on Safer Supply: Summary of affiliations and interests

In accordance with the Health Canada Policy on External Advisory Bodies, all members were asked to disclose affiliations and interests relevant to the mandate of the Expert Advisory Group on Safer Supply.

Members are expected to review their affiliations and interests against meeting agenda items and advise the Co-Chairs and Secretariat if they see a potential cause for concern regarding the integrity and objectivity of their participation. Based on this review, they will decide, if necessary, to limit a member's participation in all or part of the meeting agenda. They will inform the member of this decision.

Summaries are provided for each of the Task Force members based on the following questions.

1. Direct financial interests

Do you, your spouse/partner, or dependent minor child have any current direct financial interests (i.e., current employment, investments in companies, partnerships, equity, royalties, joint ventures, trusts, real property, stocks, shares or bonds) that are of relevance to the mandate of the advisory body?

2. Indirect financial interests

  1. Within the past five years, have you or your spouse/partner received payment for work done or being done, or financial support, from a private sector organization that has an interest in the mandate of the advisory body? Include past employment, contracts or consulting, research support, personal education grants, contributions, fellowships, sponsorships, and honoraria for teaching, speaking, or writing engagements.
  2. Within the past five years, have you or your spouse/partner received materials, discounted products, gifts, or other benefits, or attended conferences or meetings where all or part of the travel and accommodation costs were provided by a private sector organization that has an interest in the mandate of the advisory body?
  3. Within the past five years, have any of the organizations where you or your spouse/partner are currently employed or where you or your spouse/partner participate in internal decision making (that is, as a board member or as an executive or non-executive director), received grants or other funding from a private sector organization that has an interest in the mandate of the advisory body?

3. Intellectual interests

  1. Within the past five years, provided any formal advice or opinion to industry; a Canadian federal, provincial, or municipal government; a foreign government; or a non-government organization on a matter of relevance to the mandate of the advisory body. Include expert testimony or acting as witness (full or part-time), participation on an advisory body, etc.
  2. Made public a statement (speeches, lobbying, etc.) or publicly stated a point of view (including in scientific papers, articles, journals, or other publications, or on websites) on issues of relevance to the advisory body's mandate.
  3. Current professional or volunteer affiliations (such as membership in professional/scientific societies, trade associations, and lobbying, public interest, or advocacy groups) that may have an interest in the mandate and work of this advisory body.

4. Other

Additional affiliations and interests, or potential circumstances that might give a well-informed member of the public reasonable apprehension or grounds for concern regarding the integrity and objectivity of participation in this advisory body.

Summary of affiliations and interests

Name Summary of Responses
Elaine Hyshka (Co-Chair) 1. 2a. 2b. 2c. 3a. 3b. 3c. 4.
No Yes No No Yes Yes Yes No
Comments
  • Has received travel support and/or honorarium in recognition of participation as an expert in subject matter.
  • Has provided formal advice and opinions regarding the overdose epidemic to Health Canada, the CCSA, Public Safety, Alberta Health Services, Alberta Ministry of Health, municipal governments (Edmonton, Calgary, and Lethbridge), the BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, as well as U.S. federal and state governments.
  • Has made comments in the media regarding the need to advance safe supply initiatives as part of Canada and Alberta's opioid crisis responses.
  • Affiliated with Alberta Health Services, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, the Canadian Research Initiative on Substance Misuse, and the Royal Alexandra Hospital.
Jordan Westfall (Co-Chair) 1. 2a. 2b. 2c. 3a. 3b. 3c. 4.
Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No
Comments
  • Has received travel support and registration fee for conference participation. Has also received honorarium in recognition of perspectives, experiences, and expertise.
  • Knowledge User of the Program of Outcomes Research on Treatment with Injectables for Addiction study and the iCarries research and knowledge translation project.
  • Provided formal advice or opinion through the City of Vancouver Overdose Crisis Task Force, the Vancouver Community Action Team, the BC Centre for Disease Control oral hydromorphone project steering committee, and the BC injectable opioid treatment implementation working group.
  • Has made public statements (articles, speeches) on issues related to safe supply and/or the opioid crisis (e.g., Huffington Post, Vancouver Sun, CIHR knowledge translation workshop).
  • Co-founder of the Canadian Association for Safe Supply.
Rob Boyd 1. 2a. 2b. 2c. 3a. 3b. 3c. 4.
No No No Yes No Yes No No
Comments
  • Work with Sandy Hill Community Health Centre and Ottawa Inner City Health, which received safer supply program funding through Health Canada's Substance Use and Addiction Program (SUAP).
  • Has referred to safer supply as a part of overall strategy to address unregulated fentanyl market in lectures.
Angela Carol 1. 2a. 2b. 2c. 3a. 3b. 3c. 4.
No No No No No Yes No No
Comments
  • Has made public statements supporting a safer opioid supply online, including personal website and careerguide.com.
Sara Davidson 1. 2a. 2b. 2c. 3a. 3b. 3c. 4.
Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes No
Comments
  • Current co-owner and medical director of River Stone Pharmacy Inc., which is a recipient of program funding through Health Canada's Substance Use and Addiction Program (SUAP).
  • Volunteered as a member of an advisory committee for Health Canada.
  • Has made public statements via radio and newspapers regarding substance use, homelessness, and the criminalization of substance use.
  • Affiliated with Doctors for Decriminalization (an advocacy, not-for-profit group).
Brian Emerson 1. 2a. 2b. 2c. 3a. 3b. 3c. 4.
No No No No Yes Yes Yes No
Comments
  • Provides advice to the Government of BC about opioid and toxic drug emergency issues as medical consultant for the BC Ministry of Health and has provided advice to the federal government about opioid issues as the BC representative to the F/P/T Working Group on Prescription Drug Abuse.
  • Has made public statements on management and regulation of opioids, illegal drugs, controlled drugs; determinants of British Columbia's Opioid Overdose Emergency; Public Health and the Harm Reduction Approach to illegal psychoactive substances; and, approaches on managing and regulating illegal psychoactive substances.
  • Volunteers for Psychoactive Substances Committee (a professional association of public health physicians in BC), Public Health Physicians of Canada, Canadian Public Health Association, Doctors of BC, and Canadian Medical Association.
Tara Gomes 1. 2a. 2b. 2c. 3a. 3b. 3c. 4.
No Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes No
Comments
  • Has received funding from Indigenous Services Canada as a member of the Drugs and Therapeutics Advisory Committee; Canada's Drug and Health Technology Agency; the Canadian Centre for Substance use and Addiction; the Ontario College of Pharmacists; and the provincial government of British Columbia.
  • Has received grant and contract funding from the Ontario Ministry of Health to support research program.
  • Has provided advice to a number of governmental organizations, including the Ontario Ministry of Health, Public Health Ontario and the Office of the Chief Coroner of Ontario.
  • Published on the topic of opioid-related harm and the overdose crisis and provided opinions via media interviews on the overdose crisis and drug policy.
  • Affiliated with the Board of Governors for the Inner City Family Health Team in Toronto, Ontario.
Catherine Hacksel 1. 2a. 2b. 2c. 3a. 3b. 3c. 4.
Yes Yes No No Yes Yes Yes No
Comments
  • Employed by Ottawa Inner City Health, which has received funding through Health Canada's Substance Use and Addiction Program (SUAP).
  • Has received honorarium in recognition of participation in an expert panel.
  • Has made public statements in support of harm reduction initiatives, including safer supply.
  • Affiliated with the Drug Users Advocacy League (DUAL Ottawa).
Carol Hopkins 1. 2a. 2b. 2c. 3a. 3b. 3c. 4.
Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No
Comments
  • Employer has received contribution agreement funding from the federal government.
  • Has received travel and accommodation support from Health Canada to attend an international meeting as a member of the Canadian Delegation.
  • Provided formal advice or opinions through various federal, provincial, Indigenous, and non-governmental committees (e.g., the Expert Task Force on Substance Use, the Assembly of First Nations, the House of Commons Standing Committee on Health, the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-term Care, Ministry of Justice Ontario, Chiefs of Ontario Task Force, Alberta Health, etc.)
  • Made public statements through numerous professional publications (e.g., Arizona Press, Journal of Ethnicity in Substance Abuse, Canadian Journal of Community Mental Health, International Indigenous Policy Journal, Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, etc.), and numerous presentations nationally and internationally.
  • Affiliated with the Assembly of First Nations' Mental Wellness Committee; the Global Indigenous Network Advisory Group; the International Indigenous Drug Policy Coalition; the World Federation on Public Health's Indigenous Working Group; and the International Initiative in Mental Health Leadership Wharerata Group.
Cheyenne Johnson 1. 2a. 2b. 2c. 3a. 3b. 3c. 4.
Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No No No
Comments
  • Currently employed by the BC Centre on Substance Use, which has received funding for two separate projects through Health Canada's Substance Use and Addiction Program.
  • Provided formal advice or opinions to Health Canada as a member of an expert task force on substance use.
  • Received travel and accommodation funds for participating in a number of speaking engagements, including the Okanagan College Science in Society Speaker Series; the Association for Medical Education and Research in Substance Abuse; and, the Workshop on Opioid Substitution Therapy in Canada, Policy and Planning.
Mae Katt 1. 2a. 2b. 2c. 3a. 3b. 3c. 4.
No No No No Yes No No No
Comments
  • Provided formal advice or opinions to Health Canada as a member of an expert task force on substance use.
Frankie Lambert 1. 2a. 2b. 2c. 3a. 3b. 3c. 4.
No Yes No No No No No No
Comments
  • Participated in the Expert Task Force on Substance Use, and was responsible for communications at the Association Québécoise pour la promotion de la santé des personnes utilisatrices de drogues; and received remuneration for both.
Carole Morissette 1. 2a. 2b. 2c. 3a. 3b. 3c. 4.
No No No No Yes Yes No No
Comments
  • Has provided formal advice with respect to safer supply, in her capacity as medical advisor to the Direction régionale de santé publique de Montréal.
Shanell Twan 1. 2a. 2b. 2c. 3a. 3b. 3c. 4.
Yes Yes No No No Yes Yes No
Comments
  • Currently employed by Streetworks Edmonton Harm Reduction Program.
  • Has been financially supported to speak at various conferences on perspectives of people who use drugs.
  • Has made public statements in the media and online on issues related to safer supply, the opioid crisis, etc.
  • Affiliated with the Canadian Association of People Who Use Drugs (CAPUD), and Alberta Addicts Who Educate and Advocate Responsibility (AAWEAR).

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