B.C. suit against drug firms ‘a step in right direction’
An Oak Bay mother says if B.C. can sue drug companies to recoup the health-care costs of the opioid crisis, it can find answers and legislate change following her son’s opioid overdose death.
“I do think it’s a step in the right direction,” said Rachel Staples, whose 16-year-old son, Elliot Eurchuk, died of an illicit drug overdose in April.
“But government is trying to use a blanket approach, and this is a multi-faceted problem,” Staples said.
“I think they need to acknowledge there’s a lot more work to be done and it’s not just [about] holding these drug companies accountable and financially responsible.”
Elliot underwent four surgeries, had a blood infection, and was prescribed Dilauded and fentanyl. His parents say he developed an opiate dependency as a result.
Because Elliot was considered competent under the B.C. Infants Act, he was able to consent to his own care and his parents were not able to access information about his medical records or possible illicit drug use, or prevent him from being prescribed opioids.
Staples and husband Brock Eurchuk want the B.C. government to update the Infants Act or adopt the B.C. Liberals’ Secure Care Act, which would allow for the involuntary short-term placement of youth in a facility to address mentalhealth challenges and substance abuse.
They also want a coroner’s inquest into Elliot’s death to prevent “dangerous practices and circumstances” from robbing another young life.
“I guess one question I have is if the government can issue a lawsuit over these pharmaceutical companies, why can’t they grant us the chief coroner’s inquest into Elliot’s death?” Staples said. “Drug companies are just one part of the problem.” British Columbia’s proposed class-action lawsuit targets dozens of pharmaceutical companies, alleging they falsely marketed opioids as less addictive than other pain drugs and helped trigger an overdose crisis that has killed thousands, including 1,399 people in B.C. last year.
Staples, a dentist, remembers drug marketers trying to ply her profession in the 1990s with “incentives” such as free cruises and cash for using their opioid products. And while that practice wasn’t condoned, she said, the mindset among doctors remained that the drugs were safe to prevent pain and pain was to be avoided.
Dr. Eric Cadesky, president of Doctors of B.C., said pain is complex, but what doctors were told about opioids two decades ago is starkly different from what they are told today. Now, the general recommendation is to reduce doses and duration where appropriate.
The idea is to review patient histories and personalize a plan when prescribing of opioids, Caedesky said. Opioids might be the wrong choice for some patients, but for others — including some who have been taking them safely for decades for chronic pain — close monitoring by a physician is the answer.
Staples said she said she was pleased to see some changes at Victoria General Hospital recently.
Elliot’s younger brother Oliver had emergency surgery May 31 to repair a hip he fractured in a skateboarding accident.
The anesthetist told Staples he had just returned from a European symposium that recommended doctors use fractional doses of opioids and blocking agents to block the pleasure centres in the brain that opioids stimulate.
“Oliver had nothing more than two Tylenol post major surgery — hip surgery,” said Staples, who notes that pain is a normal part of healing. “And he didn’t complain once. He was well managed with Tylenol.”
TRURO, N.S. — Nova Scotia’s fight against Canada’s growing opioid crisis is showing notable progress, the province’s chief medical officer says.
Dr. Robert Strang told a news conference on Friday that the number of opioid overdose deaths in Nova Scotia has remained stable in the past year, which is considered a success in a country where the number of accidental opioid-related deaths continues to rise.
“The fact that we’re not increasing is an indication of the positive impact of the work we’re doing and the investments made,” Strang said in an interview.
“Our initial investment in harm reduction is making a difference.”
Between January and August of this year, there were 38 probable or confirmed opioid overdose deaths in the province, a figure that is in line with the average since 2011, Strang said. There were 63 opioid-related deaths in 2017.
Across Canada, there were 3,671 accidental apparent opioidrelated deaths in 2017, according to the latest federal figures. That represents a 40 per cent increase when compared with the previous year.
The problem is particularly acute in British Columbia, where the per capita rate is three times the national average. There were 1,399 opioid-related deaths reported in B.C. in 2017, up from 974 in 2016.
The B.C. government declared a public health emergency in 2016.
“Our problem in Nova Scotia is not to that extent,” Strang said.
Nova Scotia’s issue is mainly with misuse of prescription drugs rather than street drugs.
“We are starting to see greater indications of illicit opioids in our street drug supply, but not to the same extent as other parts of the country,” he said.
Strang said the Nova Scotia government has committed stable annual funding to combat the problem, which has resulted in the opening of three new treatment centres, a substantial increase in the number of people receiving treatment, and reduced waiting lists and wait times.
In fact, there is no longer a waiting list for treatment in the Halifax area, he said, adding that the wait times in rural areas have been reduced to days instead of weeks.
The province has also distributed 5,000 take-home naloxone kits to at-risk Nova Scotians and their families. Naloxone is a lifesaving medication that can stop or reverse an opioid overdose.
To date, the province has received reports that 90 of the kits have been used to save people from opioid overdoses.
“Those were the only ones that were reported,” Strang said.
“I think it’s safe to say there were probably more that weren’t reported.”
Last week, the British Columbia government filed a proposed class-action lawsuit against pharmaceutical companies in an attempt to recoup the costs associated with opioid addiction.
The lawsuit names 40 defendants, including OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma.
None of the allegations made in the lawsuit has been proven in court.
Last month, New Brunswick said it was considering launching or joining a similar lawsuit, and in March a Saskatchewan judge rejected a $20-million national settlement against Purdue Pharma (Canada), saying it was inadequate.
Meanwhile, Nova Scotia is considering its options.
“That’s something that we’ll be looking at, in collaboration with other provincial and territorial governments,” Strang said.
In the U.S., drugmakers are facing hundreds of lawsuits from governments claiming the companies played a role in sparking opioid overdose crisis that killed 42,000 Americans in 2016.