Legislation sets stage for lawsuit against drug manufacturers

The province has proposed legislation giving it options to sue opioid manufacturers and distributors to reclaim costs to its health system from the overdose crisis.

Health Minister Randy Delorey introduced the opioid damages and health care costs recovery act on March 4. He said the legislation would allow the province to join a classaction suit or act on its own to hold opioid manufacturers and distributors accountable for the harmful impact of their drugs.

He said several other province’s including Newfoundland and Labrador, Alberta and Ontario have all passed similar legislation. Saskatchewan is expected to pass a bill this spring. Delorey said a decision on whether to take action is not imminent.

An average of 60 Nova Scotians die every year from confirmed and probable opioidrelated overdose.

The province did not provide updated costs associated with the opioid scourge.

In 2014, the Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse and Addiction

estimated the overall cost of opioid addiction in Nova Scotia to be $1.2 billion (including health care, justice, lost productivity, and other direct costs). Direct costs to the health system alone were estimated to be $24 million annually.

The province did not increase funding for opioid treatment for this fiscal year.

It’s budgeted $5.686 million on opioid treatment, including opioid use disorder clinics, the naloxone program, and training/support for health care providers. This amount was also invested last year. Waiting lists for treatment exist in two of the four Nova Scotia Health Authority zones. The wait times for treatment in the western zone is 11 days while it’s five days in the eastern zone.