Stop Methadone Deaths
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Stop Methadone Deaths

To discuss and make the public aware of methadone dangers.
 
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A Call For Voices *This is a call for voices. If you are a loved one of someone currently using methadone, or a loved one of someone who has passed away because of methadone use I would love to hear from you. I am a documentary filmmaker working one a film that will expose the realities of methadone and the effects it has on our society. I am asking for stories to share that will help reform regulation of this drug, and also take away the social stigma of what it is to be on methadone. * * * *My commitment to this film comes from a very real place in my life and the life of my family. My father has been on methadone for over 35 years. My brother for five. My family battles regularly with the health issues methadone creates for both my father and brother, as well as the social stigma's that come along with someone on this medication. * * * *I am driven to explore all angles of the methadone culture. I want to hear from the loved ones who have lost someone to methadone deaths, the loved ones who are losing someone to methadone life, I want to hear from the methadone users, and I want all the same from the other side. I plan to reach out and explore what the people at the clinics believe, I want to hear from the pharmaceutical companies and the government run committees that "regulate" this drug. * * * *Please help me bring a strong voice out to the world that tells the full story of methadone. You can contact me directly by emailing voiceweneed@gmail.com. Tell me about yourself, what drew you to reach out and where you are from. I look forward to hearing from you.* * * *All the best!* * * *Angelica*

 

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Bren ONeal
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PostSubject: Canada News   Canada News EmptySat Jun 22, 2013 2:40 pm

Canada News
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PostSubject: Re: Canada News   Canada News EmptyMon Jun 24, 2013 4:44 pm

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PostSubject: New Clinic   Canada News EmptyMon Jun 24, 2013 4:47 pm

New Methadone Clinic opening met with controversary.
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PostSubject: Re: Canada News   Canada News EmptyTue Jun 25, 2013 5:08 pm

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PostSubject: Re: Canada News   Canada News EmptyMon Jul 01, 2013 12:06 pm

|


6 hours ago  |    
Vote 0   0

Methadone clinic right where it needs to be



Oshawa This Week
To the editor:

Re: ‘Relocate Methadone Clinic’ signs and petitions in Oshawa.

I have noticed lately that there have been signs popping up in my neighbourhood asking that the methadone clinic to be relocated out of the ‘Heart of Downtown Oshawa’.

I have had the opportunity to talk to one of my neighbours who has posted one of these signs and he asked if I agreed. My answer was no. This is classic NIMBYism (Not in My Backyard). Where would they have this clinic? Just anywhere else was the answer.

I don’t believe the people behind this campaign understand the good the clinic provides and the life saving it has done. Downtown is exactly where this clinic needs to be.

These people need help. They need these clinics to help clean themselves up from a legally prescribed drug (Oxycotin) that was prescribed by doctors who were given incorrect information. This drug was thought to be much less addictive than Percocet. Yes, some may have a different opiate addiction, but the fact is that they’re trying to get their life in order.

They unfortunately developed a dependence that they didn’t ask for and didn’t want. We shouldn’t try to move the place where they’re making a better choices to get well.

Can we not allow these people to do this in peace and not have them walk by signs that are essentially telling them to relocate out of the heart of downtown Oshawa?

Mike Mutimer

Oshawa
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PostSubject: Letter To The Editor   Canada News EmptyMon Jul 01, 2013 12:15 pm

Why do Pro Methadoners throw up NIMBY ( Not In My Back Yard) while other people in the same town oppose the location of a Methadone Clinic ? Are not both sides allowed to have opinons ? Mr. Mutimer says people are not educated about Methadone Clinics. Well, I say Mr. Mutimer is not educated about the history of Oxycontin and Percocet. Whether in Canada or the United States ignorance is sure to follow.

Sincerely,
Bren ONeal
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PostSubject: Re: Canada News   Canada News EmptyWed Aug 07, 2013 9:01 pm

http://thechronicleherald.ca/canada/1146217-report-treatment-for-drug-addiction-scarce


This report has missed the mark when commenting on addiction treatment by the use of Methadone in the United States. We have a reputation for the outrageous number of Methadone Clinics that have been nicknamed, " Pill Mills." The truth behind these Clinics and Dr.'s in private practice has been surfacing about GREED. Methadone cost less than a dollar but is sold on the streets a dollar per milligram.There is no cheaper alternative than Methadone.Patients entering these Clinics chance of death happens within the first two weeks of induction.They are not properly assessed by a profressional medical staff instead herding in and out like cattle.
Canandian citizens should do their own research into this highly addictive dangerous drug.Methadone should be given only as a last resort for the dying with chronic pain.
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PostSubject: P.E.I.   Canada News EmptyThu Oct 10, 2013 9:59 am

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/prince-edward-island/p-e-i-methadone-program-overwhelmed-says-doctor-1.1930983

P.E.I. should not jump to the conclusion that Methadone is the "Gold Standard" of treating addiction to opioid/opiates. Here in the United States Methadone has failed those who need help for nearly 50 years and the majority of patients are addicted to pain killers not heroin. Doctors here are refusing to be educated about Methadone and do not want to prescribe the controversial drug due to all of the deaths. The drug is highly addictive, dangerous and harder to quit than heroin. Education and counseling have to be part of the treatment plan to get to the root of why addicts struggle to self medicate to start with. For profit Clinics herd people in and out in a matter of minutes never properly assessing their patients. Most deaths occur the 1ST and 2ND week of beginning Methadone Clinics this continues to be ignored while thousands die every year from use or misuse. Why ? Pure Greed by Dr.'s and Pharmaceutical Co.'s.
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PostSubject: Re: Canada News   Canada News EmptySat Oct 26, 2013 2:55 pm

Are you kidding me ? This man was not charged and was released on a promise to return.

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/Man-60-arrested-after-drug-bust-229271961.html
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PostSubject: Re: Canada News   Canada News EmptySat Nov 02, 2013 1:27 pm

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PostSubject: Re: Canada News   Canada News EmptyThu Nov 14, 2013 1:36 am

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PostSubject: Re: Canada News   Canada News EmptyTue Nov 19, 2013 1:39 pm

Methadone has failed treating opioid/opiate addiction in the United States for over 40 years.And yes it is substituting one drug for another.The real deal is Methadone is cheaper in comparison to other narcotics on the market and has become a multi billion dollar industry.Methadone related deaths have become an epidemic in our country.

http://blackburnnews.com/chatham/chatham-news/2013/11/18/methadone-clinics-need-healthcare-support/
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PostSubject: Re: Canada News   Canada News EmptyFri Dec 13, 2013 8:09 am

http://www.straight.com/news/548136/methadone-dose-will-be-10-times-more-concentrated-raising-fears-future-overdose-deaths?comment_mode=1#add-new-comment




A Vancouver activist and freelance journalist says it's imperative that people on methadone learn of a big change to coming to the way this opioid is prescribed.









..
Speaking on Co-op Radio's Media Mornings program today (December 12), Garth Mullins revealed that effective February 1, the new Methadose will be far more concentrated than the traditional 1-milligram per millilitre oral dose.

The Methadose, which is manufactured by Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals, will be delivered in 10-milligram per millilitre doses.

He quoted Laura Shaver, president of the B.C. Association of People on Methadone, who worries that some people will die because there haven't been sufficient efforts taken to notify people on the program.

On the radio, Mullins also pointed out that methadone overdoses can occur between two to seven hours after the drug is taken.

By then, he declared, the person might be home alone with nobody available to help, raising the risk of death.

In addition, Mullins has posted an article about the methadone change on his blog. He noted that there will be no problem if people measure their doses accurately.

However, he stated difficulties can arise if pharmacists make measuring errors or if people who rely on methadone get their dose wrong.

The world's first methadone-maintenance treatment program was pioneered in Vancouver in 1959, according to a UVic Centre for Addictions Research B.C. paper published in May 2010.

It's given as a substitute for other opioid addictions, notably heroin, which is illegal.

Between 1996 and 2006, the number of methadone users in the provincial program grew from 2,827 to 9,601, according to the Centre for Addictions Research B.C. report.

Mullins noted in his article that the number had reached 13,894 by 2012, according to B.C. PharmaCare statistics.

This past autumn, representatives from the College of Physicians and Surgeons of B.C. and the College of Pharmacists of B.C. offered free live training sessions in communities across the province to inform people in these professions about the pending changes to the program.

The change is being made to bring B.C. in line with dispensing practices across the country.
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PostSubject: Re: Canada News   Canada News EmptyTue Dec 24, 2013 9:48 am

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PostSubject: Re: Canada News   Canada News EmptyWed Jan 08, 2014 8:19 am

http://metronews.ca/news/london/902334/methadone-request-causes-offence-at-london-city-hall/


Methadone request causes offence at London City Hall


By Mike DonachieMetro


Share this Article







Torstar News Service file A social worker dispenses a dose of methadone from a clinic pharmacy. London’s rules governing methadone clinics are coming under fire.

A request from the province’s human rights watchdog caused upset Tuesday at city hall.

“We’re just trying to do our job,” said Coun. Joe Swan as the difficult issue of regulating methadone clinics reared its head at the corporate services committee.

That regulation, said a letter from the Ontario Human Rights Commission, might be leading the city to discriminate against drug addicts.

The commission has asked for a large amount of documentation from the city as it seeks to decide whether people’s rights are being affected by city rules governing methadone clinics and pharmacies.

The request left Swan unhappy with the suggestion that anyone’s being discriminated against.
“I’m somewhat offended that (chief commissioner Barbara Hall) would suggest such a thing,” the councillor said.

So, as staff get to work on drawing together all the paperwork, Swan suggested it might be accompanied by a letter explaining that council didn’t like the tone of the request.

The request focuses on city planning and regulation bylaws, and seeks to find out if they “discriminate against people with addictions who rely on methadone services.”

The city will be replying, solicitor Jennifer Smout told the committee, but the Feb. 7 deadline, given by the commission on Dec. 18, is tight. Clerk Cathy Saunders said the request represents four weeks of work for staff.

Smout said staff asked for more time, but the commission “has not been sympathetic,” although they may be able to send some documents a little late.

The request

— The Ontario Human Rights Commission wants to see pretty much everything about methadone health services in London since 2009.

— That includes all minutes, notes, presentation materials and other documents from city council meetings, sub-committees and consultations with the public and experts.

— It also asks for research done by or provided to the city, all internal and external communications on the subject, all records on planning and zoning for methadone services and a list of services in the city.
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PostSubject: Re: Canada News   Canada News EmptyFri Jan 31, 2014 9:29 am

Amy Reid / Surrey Now
January 30, 2014 12:00 AM


The Downtown Surrey BIA is advocating for changes to problem pharmacies in the city's core.




CITY CENTRE — The Downtown Surrey BIA is advocating for changes to problem pharmacies in the city's core.

The BIA first focused on this in 2005, when the organization noticed an overabundance of small-scale pharmacies that dispense methadone in the area, particularly north of 104th Avenue.

"We're considered actually a hot spot," said the BIA's Bonnie Burnside.

There are roughly 20 pharmacies that dispense methadone in the area, she said, adding that some are fullservice drugstores and some are strictly methadone dispensaries.

And it can be a lucrative business. "I heard of one instance where somebody was on 17 different drugs. So, when you consider 17 different drugs, and the dispensing fees on 17 different products, that becomes very lucrative."

The BIA has had meetings with the College of Pharmacists of B.C. and other stakeholders to discuss concerns.

A major concern is clients loitering and disturbing neighbouring businesses, which attracts drug dealers who tend to "prey" on the recipients, Burnside said.

"We think that the pharmacy should be responsible for the loitering," she said.

The BIA also takes issue with some pharmacies offering incentives to garner more customers, such as free food or coffee, which Burnside said isn't allowed.

Starting Feb. 1, home deliveries of methadone can only be provided if a doctor deems the patient to be restricted mobility, which Burnside is glad to hear. The College of Pharmacists has also told the BIA it will tie business licensing into its accreditation.

The city and RCMP have been involved in conversations as well. In 2008, the City of Surrey enacted a bylaw that requires a minimum of 400-metre separation between drug stores, small-scale pharmacies and methadone dispensaries.

Elizabeth Model, CEO of the BIA, said she's optimistic the College of Pharmacists will continue to work with problem pharmacies in the area to help them run their businesses up to standard.

"(The College of Pharmacists) are extremely good about listening to us, listening to the problem and then identifying them and following up," she said.

Coun. Barinder Rasode said the issues are significant and praised the BIA for the work it has done.

"We still have to work on the problem related to unregulated recovery homes," Rasode said. "There's different levels to the problem, but I think the BIA has targeted this part of the problem well."

Richie Hussett, owner of the Di Reggae Café at 108th Avenue and King George Boulevard, said it doesn't make sense to have so many pharmacies clustered in one area.

"What's the point of having clinics in the middle of a drug capital?" he questioned. "Drugs are right at their fingertips here."

He would like to see methadone-dispensing pharmacies on the outskirts of a community, not in the centre of it.

"We do have to help people, but there's a proper way to do it, proper facilities and proper locations."

Hussett said he understands some pharmacy operators want to help, but others likely see an opportunity to make quick cash from the government.

"The only way to save this community is by us working together. From my side of the fence, it's not helping my business."

areid@thenownewspaper.com
- See more at: http://www.thenownewspaper.com/surrey-businesses-zero-in-on-problem-pharmacies-1.807377#sthash.36KA6SHU.dpuf
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PostSubject: Re: Canada News   Canada News EmptyFri Jan 31, 2014 9:33 am

Laura Shaver has concerns about a new cherry-flavoured methadone formula. photo Dan Toulgoet When Laura Shaver goes to her local pharmacy Saturday to get her daily cup of methadone, she’ll notice two things: the cup won’t be as full and the liquid will be a different colour. That’s because a new cherry-flavoured methadone formula called Methadose, which is 10 times the strength of the current mix of liquid and powder, will be available at pharmacies Feb. 1. The B.C. government says Methadose, which will come strictly in liquid form, will provide a safer, more consistent treatment for patients seeking withdrawal from drugs such as heroin. “While the current methadone formula needs to be compounded, this new formula does not — which means it will help reduce the risk of errors associated with manual compounding such as the risk of overdose,” said a release from the B.C. Ministry of Health. Shaver, 36, has been on methadone for 12 years and said she stopped injecting heroin four years ago. Her normal dose of methadone is 150 milligrams per day and the new formula will mean she will ingest only 15 milligrams. Still, Shaver said she’s nervous about taking Methadose because of its potency and the effect an extra milligram or two could have on a person. “One or two extra milligrams is no longer one or two, it’s 10 or 20,” said Shaver, president of the B.C. Association Of People on Methadone and the Vancouver Area Network of Drug Users. It’s common knowledge among drug users, she added, that some pharmacies “water down” methadone, which means a person is not actually getting a full dose. “It’s not even watering it down but not being very careful with the proper measurements,” Shaver said. “And we’re worried that the people who have been getting their methadone watered down, that they will now be getting their real dose and could get high.” Another concern for Shaver is that — as is the case with methadone — there will undoubtedly be people illegally selling Methadose on the street. Users unaware of the drug’s potency could lead to overdose, she said. The government says doctors and pharmacists have been provided with additional education and training in preparation for the transition and will advise patients. Mykle Ludvigsen, spokesperson for the College of Pharmacists of B.C., said complaints about pharmacists mentioned by Shaver should be directed to the college for investigation. “If we find that pharmacists are doing things that are untoward, we want to know about them,” said Ludvigsen, noting more than 4,000 pharmacists have been trained in administering Methadose. The training has been coupled with a B.C.-wide public awareness campaign involving health agencies and City of Vancouver building inspectors leaving leaflets under doors and in lobbies of single-room-occupancy hotels. “We’ve really tried to get the word out to everyone we can but it is a hard-to-reach audience,” Ludvigsen said. To be sure all methadone users understand the change, Shaver and friends spent part of Wednesday putting up “think before you drink” posters on the streets and in pharmacies and clinics. More than 13,000 people were on methadone in B.C. when the Office of the Provincial Health Officer released a report in February 2013 on the province’s methadone program. mhowell@vancourier.com twitter.com/Howellings

http://www.vancourier.com/new-methadone-treatment-worries-vancouver-users-1.808263
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PostSubject: Re: Canada News   Canada News EmptySat Feb 01, 2014 12:38 pm

Jan 31, 2014  | Vote0   0

Methadone stolen from James Street pharmacy








Methadone
Police photo
Hamilton police have issued a warning after a quantity of methadone was stolen from a James Street pharmacy.




Hamilton police have issued a warning after methadone was stolen from a James Street pharmacy.

The drug can be fatal if consumed in large quantities. It is most commonly used to treat addiction to opioid drugs such as heroin and oxycodone.

The methadone was stolen Thursday about 6:30 p.m. when a man walked into the pharmacy on James Street North with a large pillow case. He went straight behind the pharmacy counter and began stealing narcotics.

Police said the man filled the pillow case with prescription drugs and fled north towards Barton Street. Police did not disclose how much methadone was stolen.

The suspect is white, about 5-foot-7, with a thin build and blue eyes. He was wearing a light coloured jacket and a dark coloured hoodie.

Anyone with information to contact Det. Lovegrove at 905-546-8924 or Det. Sergeant Evangelista at 905-546-2991.

http://www.thespec.com/news-story/4345057-methadone-stolen-from-james-street-pharmacy/
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PostSubject: Re: Canada News   Canada News EmptyThu Feb 06, 2014 7:08 am

http://www.edmontonjournal.com/Methadone+overdose+killed+Stony+Plain+foster/9472379/story.html


Stony Plain foster boy died from methadone overdose

Police unable to determine how boy obtained drug

By Karen Kleiss, Edmonton Journal February 5, 201


EDMONTON - A 13-year-old boy in provincial care overdosed on methadone during a sleepover at a friend’s house in 2010, a fatality inquiry report revealed Wednesday.

Police conducted an extensive investigation but were unable to determine how the boy obtained the fatal dose of a drug meant for heroin addicts.

“There was nothing that could have been done by those responsible for (the boy’s) care that would have prevented him from wanting to acquire and consume the methadone,” Provincial Court Judge Ken Tjosvold wrote in a six-page report.

“It was also impossible, after a thorough police investigation, to determine how the methadone became available to him. The possibility that (the boy) would acquire this drug and consume a deadly quantity simply could not have been foreseen.”

The boy cannot be named under the terms of a publication ban; the report refers to him by his initials, K.W.

K.W. was subject to a permanent guardianship order and had long been in the care of the same foster family in Stony Plain.

In April 2010, K.W. went to a friend’s house for a sleepover. They rode bikes, played video games and had Chinese food for supper.

At some point, K.W. took “four little orange pills,” Tsosvold wrote. He told his friend they were methadone, and said they “would make him feel good.”

At 11 p.m., K.W. said he wasn’t feeling well and went to bed.

The following morning, the friend’s father went to wake the boys and discovered K.W. had vomited, was foaming at the mouth, and was having trouble breathing.

The father called 911 and K.W. was taken to hospital, where he was declared dead.

Alberta’s Chief Toxicologist, Dr. Graham Jones, said K.W.’s blood contained .38 milligrams of methadone per litre of blood, a dose that would be fatal to anyone not accustomed to such drugs.

He also had non-toxic levels of anti-depressant amitriptyline in his blood along with dextromethorphan, an over-the-counter cough suppressant that is sometimes abused.

Tjosvold made no recommendations.

“It is important to note what the (law) does not permit. ... The (law) does not appear to require or authorize recommendations as to how the child welfare system or drug prevention programs could be improved, unless that improvement, on the evidence heard at the inquiry, might prevent similar deaths,” Tjosvold wrote.

Internal government records obtained by the Journal show an internal committee comprised of the statutory director, child advocate and legal director reviewed the case and made recommendations. However, the recommendations were blacked out by officials before the documents were released to the newspaper.

No special case review into K.W.’s death was completed.
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PostSubject: Re: Canada News   Canada News EmptyThu Feb 06, 2014 7:31 am

http://www.sunnewsnetwork.ca/sunnews/canada/archives/2014/02/20140205-195845.html



Credits: Carmine Marinelli/Vancouver 24hours/QMI Agency


MICHAEL MUI | QMI AGENCY


VANCOUVER -- A coalition of methadone users is filing a complaint with the College of Pharmacists of B.C. after hearing of two overdoses caused by the new, stronger variety of the opiate-addiction replacement since its introduction this month.

Laura Shaver, president of the B.C. Association of People on Methadone, said Wednesday she's heard from several users of the new "cherry red" methadone so far, and they haven't had any good things to report.

"People would like to have a choice to go back to the old methadone," she said. "We've had two overdoses so far... I know they both needed to be administered with opiate overdose medication."

Shaver said some pharmacists are still in "transition" with the new replacement and don't have proper measuring cups or dispensing machines - devices which were supposed to make the new solution harder to tamper with.

The former version of methadone, which is still used by some with existing prescriptions, was a 10th of the strength of the new solution. The former was also mixed with orange-flavoured Tang, which made it palatable.

Shaver, who now uses the new solution, said the stronger formula is "disgusting."
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PostSubject: Re: Canada News   Canada News EmptyThu Feb 27, 2014 1:42 pm

Prescription drugs abound on Vancouver streets







By Susan Lazaruk











Laura Shaver, president of the B.C. Association of People on Methadone, said it used to be easier to score illegal drugs such as heroin, cocaine and crystal meth on the streets, but legal prescription drugs over the past year have become just as plentiful.

Photograph by: Arlen Redekop , Province


Finding pharmaceuticals for sale is just as easy as walking down to the open-air drug markets on Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside, according to one addict.

“Everything from Extra Strength Tylenol to methadone, every Oxy you can find, every benzo, like Valium, Rivotril, Dilaudid, Dexedrine,” said Laura Shaver, who’s on a methadone maintenance program for heroin addiction.

“If I wanted to buy drugs, I would go down to the Carnegie corner or to the 100-block of (East) Hastings or the 300-block of Hastings and say, ‘Who’s got Oxys?’” she said.

She quickly rattled off the going rates — $5 for 4 mg of Delaudid, $10 for 8 mg of Delaudid, $6 for 10 mg of OxyContin, $20 for 80 mg of OxyContin.

Shaver, who’s also president of the B.C. Association of People on Methadone, said it used to be easier to score illegal drugs such as heroin, cocaine and crystal meth on the streets, but legal prescription drugs over the past year have become just as plentiful.

Meanwhile, police have done the math and know that the resale of prescription drugs can turn big profits, through “drug trafficking, both by organized criminals and individuals taking advantage of lucrative street markets,” said RCMP Cpl. Heather Dickinson of Ontario’s drug squad in a power-point presentation obtained by The Province.

In it, Dickinson noted a $4, 80 mg OxyContin pill would fetch $80 on the street and $400 on northern reserves, meaning a 100-count bottle could bring in up to $40,000.

She called prescription drug abuse “extremely complex” because “mere possession is not enough to prosecute” and the number of dealers is growing while police resources to deal with it are not.

Dickinson noted it’s taking a “devastating toll” and is responsible for overdose deaths, home invasions and break-and-enters, pharmacy robberies, assaults, impaired driving and fraud in the health care system.

The Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police endorses a national prescription drug misuse strategy, she said.


http://www.theprovince.com/health/Prescription+drugs+readily+available+addicts+street/9554910/story.html
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PostSubject: Re: Canada News   Canada News EmptyMon Mar 10, 2014 11:34 am

Suboxone, methadone alternative, gets police chief's OK

Nova Scotia reviewing its criteria for covering cost of pill

By Molly Segal, CBC NewsPosted: Mar 10, 2014 7:06 AM AT|Last Updated: Mar 10, 2014 9:13 AM AT




Some doctors in Nova Scotia say Suboxone is a safer and better treatment, it's just too expensive. (Reuters)




























Related Stories

■N.S. doctor urges methadone alternative
■Methadone alternative to hit Canadian market
■Recovering addict supports methadone substitute



Some addictions specialists continue to lobby the Nova Scotia government to approve a drug other than methadone for broader use, a move the Kentville police chief says would make the streets safer.

Kentville Police Chief Mark Mander says Suboxone, which comes in pill form, makes it less appealing to children.

"When you look at something in the liquid form that looks like a nice, neat bottle, kids might tend to get into that," he said.

Some doctors also see Suboxone as a safer option and have been lobbying the province to expand its criteria for coverage. The Department of Health and Wellness pays for Suboxone only if someone can't take methadone for health reasons.

"In a relative sense, it's safer than methadone," said Dr. David Saunders, who works with people recovering from substance abuse at Direction 180 in Halifax.


It costs the province about 20 to 80 cents for a dose of methadone. Suboxone can be many times that. (Associated Press)


The active drug in Suboxone has "a ceiling effect" so it's less sedative than methadone, according to Saunders.

"Because of that, Suboxone on the street market is by no means as popular in Canada ... because it doesn't bring about the same effect that morphine or Dilaudid or those kind of opiates would," he said.

On average, it costs the province about 20 to 80 cents for a dose of methadone. Depending on the dose, Suboxone can be anywhere from $2.67 and $4.73 per day for a patient.

But Saunders said a patient can take a week or even up to a month of doses of Suboxone, which means fewer visits to the clinic. He said that could even out the price difference in the long run.

Timeline unknown

The province would not comment on when its review of the drug plan would be complete.

"Cost is a consideration but it's also the evidence and the health outcomes of patients that we also look at," said Judy McPhee, executive director of the province's pharmaceutical services.

"We're looking at the criteria as we do with most drugs after they've been on the formulary for any length of time. We do look at changing evidence and where the criteria may need to be expanded."

Mander said safety should be a priority.

"We shouldn't be looking at it from a financial perspective, we should be looking at it for what's going to work best for that person so they can get back on the employment stream," said Mander.

According to Nova Scotia's medical examiner there were 82 methadone-related deaths between 2008 and 2013. Methadone was listed as the single cause in about a quarter of those deaths. The other people died as a result of a combination of alcohol or drugs, as well as methadone.

"Even if Suboxone was approved for general use there would still be a significant number of people who would still need to be treated with methadone, so there's a place for both," said Saunders.

"But increased access to Suboxone would be beneficial."

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/suboxone-methadone-alternative-gets-police-chief-s-ok-1.2566347
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PostSubject: Re: Canada News   Canada News EmptyFri Mar 28, 2014 10:46 am




METHADONE: Proposal

Clinic not welcome downtown: Williams 18




By Emily Mountney, The Intelligencer

Thursday, March 27, 2014 5:05:15 EDT PM



Quinte West Mayor John Williams




The Mayor of Quinte West doesn't see a methadone clinic opening in the downtown core anytime soon.

Following a public meeting Wednesday in Trenton, Mayor John Williams spoke Thursday about the Belleville and Quinte West Community Health Centre's proposed partnership with Change Health Care Inc. to open a non-dispensing methadone clinic at 23 Balsam St.

“We do not want a methadone clinic in our downtown and we made that point when (another company) wanted to put one on King Street,” said Williams. “We were in the midst of doing our official plan and in doing that we designated two areas within the city where you could have a methadone clinic, one in the east end and one in the north end, but you couldn't have one downtown.”

Williams said he was surprised when he heard the group's plans on the proposed clinic.

For the two groups to be successful in operating a clinic at 23 Balsam St., or anywhere in downtown, they would first need to make an application to the city, hold a number of public meetings and eventually the city's Official Plan and zoning by-law would need to be changed.

“I'm a little surprised that this came up again and I'm even more surprised that, after their meeting last night, they're prepared to make an application,” said Williams.

He said he's already had a number of calls from downtown business owners that are concerned the idea is even being discussed again.

“As far as I'm concerned, and I can't speak totally for all of council, but as far as I'm concerned, we will not allow this to happen there,” he said. “If they do make an application my feeling is that this council will refuse it.”

His suggestion for the two groups would be to hold off until the fall, bring the issue up during the election and try to get a new council to support their idea.

Coun. Terry Cassidy, speaking at the meeting, said the issue is “dead in the water until there's a change.”

He said members of the community are encouraged to share their opinions.

“The change that has to be crafted has to have public meetings... you're welcome to come to every one of those meetings, the planning committee meetings, the council meetings, to make sure your information has been given and your point of view has been heard,” he said. “The (planning committee) staff have to reflect what the community wants.”

Cassidy said he does expect some support for the change.

“If we're going to make a change, and I'm sure people are going to come to us and suggest we make a change for good reasons, then we want to craft something that we think is going to work,” he said.

Emily.mountney@sunmedia.ca

http://www.intelligencer.ca/2014/03/27/clinic-not-welcome-downtown-williams
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PostSubject: Re: Canada News   Canada News EmptyTue Apr 22, 2014 11:25 am

Letter: Meth is corporate moneymaker





Published: April 21, 2014, 6:00 AM








The private equity firm Bain Capital recently took over the largest U.S. chain of substance treatment facilities. Speaking of methadone clinics, like privatization of prisons, somebody always does well (CEOs and investors) — others not so well, be it potential for multigenerational incarceration, lower pay for staff or less staff, or lower quality care for clients due to less staff.

Marketing research has found a real opportunity in methadone clinics due to the 180 percent increase of heroin use in areas of our country. And while funding of nonprofit full-service methadone clinics continues, a more efficient model has been fully embraced in the efforts to privatize a moneymaker.

You see, nonprofit clinics normally require addicts to receive their methadone dose daily and see counselors regularly. Sometimes larger take-home doses can be provided depending on the client.

Take-home doses work so much better for the privatization model. You don't need nearly as many counselors. Heck, you don't need much of a staff at all, really. The addicts, that is, the clients "self-manage," so to say.

And so Bain Capital (Mitt Romney's brainchild) has found another bite of the big apple of capitalism. Remember, an apple a day, and you are not as far away from being a billionaire.Creators and takers. And then some.

Jim Comrada

Vancouver

http://www.columbian.com/news/2014/apr/21/letter-meth-corporate-moneymaker/
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