Delisting OxyContin in Canada - Solution to opiate addiction?

The problem

In recent years in Canada, OxyContin has become a major, widespread problem and one of the country’s fastest growing addictions. The OxyContin addiction epidemic is particularly acute in Native communities, with some communities having more than 50% of their population addicted to this prescription drug.

The proposed solution

In response to this major crisis, Purdue Pharma made a drastic move to stop manufacturing OxyContin completely and will replace it with OxyNEO – a new, reinforced pill that is extremely hard to break down in order to snort & inject. Perhaps an even bigger move by many provinces was to completely cut off government funding for both OxyContin prescriptions, and its replacement OxyNEO.

Was this the wrong move?

The decision to delist Oxy products from public health funding is raising a huge storm of debate, being hailed by politicians and health officials as a major victory against prescription opiate abuse & addiction. However, many others think that this sudden switch between drugs (the first of its kind ever in Canada), is going to cause major problems all over Canada – including “mass withdrawal” in First Nations communities, causing addicts to switch to other illicit opiates such as heroin to avoid withdrawals, and clogging up the Mental Health & Addictions services which is already in extreme shortage of beds in Detoxification centers, as well as doctors who can prescribe methadone and suboxone (drugs used to treat opiate addiction by replacing the addicts need for Oxy or Heroin).

Questions to ask yourself

• Was this the right move for the government to make, along with Purdue Pharma?
• Will addicts simply switch over from Oxy products to more deadly, illicit drugs such as heroin, or other prescription opiates such as hydromorphone?
• For the OxyContin addiction to be THIS bad already, there must be an abundance of the drug available. Who is prescribing this so easily to patients, especially in First Nations communities?
• Should these doctors be held accountable for prescribing OxyContin so easily? Would tighter regulations on OxyContin/OxyNEO prescriptions make it harder to obtain for addicts?
• What are the effects this is going to have on the health care system, a system that is already extremely backlogged with addicts seeking detox beds & methadone prescriptions?
• With the government refusing to pay for most OxyContin/OxyNEO prescriptions, what is going to happen to the people who are in genuine pain - cancer patients, car accident victims, long term injury patients etc?
• Do you think there is a better solution for this problem, rather than just immediately cutting off the supply of OxyContin in Canada & withdrawing government funding for prescriptions?

What do you think?

Write your comments below to let me know what you think and what your stance is on this issue.


Some articles to look at if you're interested:

- http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life...-opioid-addiction-experts-say/article2349474/
- http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/story/2012/02/27/oxycontin-new-formulation.html
- http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life...s-east-side-oxycontin-is-king/article1685588/

 

I know that it is a very powerful pill.. I don't know however, HOW big the problem is in Canada, due to me living in the states. But as for making the OxyNeo, I don't see that as that big of a solution just because it's harder to break down. IMO, if someone wasn't able to snort or inject it, they would just ingest a larger quantity of them.

 

Im from nj and all the kids here smoke roxy-30mg's off tinfoil, they call it roasting.

I agree that the pill epidemic is widespread but i feel if it wasnt pills it would just be a different drug.

People that like to get fucked up will get fuckedup dosent matter what it is

 

I agree.

I can tell you from personal experience as well, that withdrawal from opiates is absolute hell. Most addicts will do anything within their power to avoid withdrawal symptoms, and with the massive backlog in the health care system that will surely occur with the thousands of addicts suddenly denied their OxyContin, that is almost certainly what they will do.

Dealers will realise the massive profit potential for selling other opiates in these heavily addicted areas, and will likely move in and take advantage of the lack of Oxy supply. In turn, I'm sure many people will switch over to heroin and any other opiates that they can get their hands on, which in the end means that moving to OxyNEO does not solve the problem whatsoever.

 

Shits worth more than platinum! Of coarse.

Most Oxy users that have been using it for sometime have a huge tolerance, which frequently causes addicts to start smoking/Injecting it. I'm close to Canada in MN, they stopped prescribing high MG tablets of OC about 2 years ago and replaced it with Opana (More Harmful IMO And more expensive!) witch is now being abused even worse! You are true a lot of addicts do resort to heavier drugs like heroin to help withdraws and also resort to other criminal acts. I've sat back and watched a lot of close friends I grew up with fall deep into some pill addictions. They know exactly what there getting into this shit don't happen by accident... It's hard to watch and understand how they let that happen to themselves. Whats even more sad is that the government is the one manufacturing all these Heavily Abused controlled substances.

As for treating it, what do they do give you methadone? What a plan America! Manufacture more drugs and give free heath care to all the addicts so they can get "Better". I'd say maybe 20% of them actually stay clean the rest only choose treatment over jail and go right back to abusing.