After mounting concern over the illegal use of OxyContin, B.C. PharmaCare has scratched the opioid off its list of drugs covered under the B.C.-wide prescription plan.
On Wednesday (Feb. 29), the Ministry of Health announced it's changing its policy regarding the medication used to treat severe pain. This follows the manufacturer's decision to discontinue production of OxyContin and market a new product called OxyNEO.
The new drug, which was to reach pharmacies on Thursday (March 1), is more difficult to crush and snort than OxyContin for illegal street use. The PharmaCare policy change takes place on March 8, at which point the organization will consider only exceptional case-by-case requests for OxyNEO.
Ministry of Health officials said they support appropriate pain management, but recognize the risks associated with opioid addiction, according to a statement. As of last week, Squamish police, doctors and pharmacists had set up their own task force to come up with strategies to crack down on illegal OxyContin use.
The highly addictive capsules sell on the streets for roughly $60 per pill, Squamish RCMP Staff Sgt. Guy Pollock told The Chief. Like heroin, OxyContin is a central nervous system depressant. It places users in a "drunk like" state, impairing co-ordination and elevating one's pain tolerance.
"I think anything to reduce the amount [of OxyContin] will be worthwhile," Pollock said on Wednesday.
PharmaCare covers a number of other opioid medications for the treatment of chronic pain. Patients who currently take this medicine are encouraged to work with their physicians to assess their pain management treatment and switch to another treatment if necessary, the ministry stated.
— Rebecca Aldous, The Chief
