Province eyes Ontario’s latest opioid strategy
CALGARY The Alberta government isn’t ruling out following Ontario’s lead in taking high-dosage painkillers off the province’s drug benefit list as it grapples with what has been described as a crisis around opioid abuse.
But Health Minister Sarah Hoffman said she wants to see how the eastern province’s decision plays out before she would commit Alberta to such an action.
Ontario’s Ministry of Health recently announced it would quit paying for high-dose opioid medications by removing them from the provincial drug benefit formulary, which covers drug costs for people who are 65 or older, receive social assistance or have high drug costs relative to their income.
Alberta has a similar drug benefit list, but Hoffman said the NDP government isn’t ready to follow suit just yet.
“We’re certainly interested in seeing what’s happening in other jurisdictions. We know we’re not alone in facing challenges with opiates,” said Hoffman, who is also deputy premier. “There is some merit in watching how it plays out and how that public plan coverage might be playing a role in some of what’s happening there. I don’t want to rule it out as something we might consider here.”
Hoffman suggested that the opioid problem takes on a different cast depending on the jurisdiction. She noted Alberta has a significant problem around illicit opioids, such as fentanyl, that would not be affected by stopping payment for high-dose prescription painkillers.
Ontario’s health minister said it was an “important first step” in limiting high doses of opioids, which are linked to overdose deaths.
Dr. Hakique Virani, an Edmonton-based addictions specialist, said Ontario made a “necessary” intervention by delisting high-dose opioids and Alberta would benefit from similar action. “But in and of itself, it’s not a stand-alone solution. It’s one component,” he said in an interview Wednesday.
The registrar of the Alberta College of Pharmacists, however, said he has concerns about Ontario’s approach and is glad to see Alberta take a wait-and-see position.
“The policy doesn’t seem to be very patient-centred,” said Greg Eberhart. “It doesn’t seem to take into consideration individuals who legitimately need these drugs.”
Eberhart questioned whether delisting the drugs would help patients who are already addicted or stop instances of addiction starting in the first place.
Ontario’s move comes amid rising national concern about addiction, overdoses and other deaths associated with opioids. Canada has one of the highest rates of opioid use in the world and a national summit on the issue will be held this fall.
On Wednesday, the British Columbia government asked the federal government to help it crack down on fentanyl overdoses through steps such as restricting access to pill presses and tableting machines, pursuing stronger penalties against people who import and traffic in fentanyl, and stepping up searches by the Canadian Border Safety Agency.
Alberta Justice Minister Kathleen Ganley said Wednesday the province has already been pushing Ottawa on the pill press issue.