This video presents “OXY “:
- “Oxycontin Concerns
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Ontario’s Health Minister Deb Matthews is “profoundly disappointed” with the federal government’s decision to refuse to stop the generic form of oxycontin pills from entering the market
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But as CTV’s Cristina Howorun tells us Canada’s Health Minister says there’s nothing she can do about it“
- This video was published on Nov 20, 2012, by CTV London
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Ontario Proposes Regulations to Limit Access to Generic OxyContin Unless It is Tamper-Resistant
OxyContin is the brand name of Oxycodone which is an active ingredient in highly addictive analgesic medications for the relief of moderate to severe pain that requires the continuous use of an opioid analgesic preparation for several days or more.
- OxyContin is Purdue Pharma’s brand for time-release oral oxycodone
- On March 1, 2012, Purdue Pharma withdrew its current formulation of oxycodone controlled release (long acting) tablet, OxyContin (i.e., the manufacturer stopped distributing OxyContin into the Canadian market), and introduced tamper-resistant OxyNEO tablets
- OxyNEO is more difficult to crush for the purpose of use and abuse
“Prescription narcotic abuse has destroyed the lives of too many Ontarians. These regulations will save lives and prevent addiction. While these steps help limit access, a ban on generic Oxycontin remains the single most effective way to prevent the devastating impact that this drug can have on families. That’s why I continue to join my provincial counterparts, doctors, pharmacists, police and First Nations leaders in calling on the federal government to reconsider their decision. ”
— Deb Matthews, Minister of Health and Long Term Care
The federal government has decided to reintroduce generic Oxycontin which is the more easily abused version of OxyContin.
In response, Ontario has already removed easily abused OxyContin from the Ontario Drug Benefit Formulary and placed tamper-resistant OxyNeo in the Exceptional Access Program.
However, the provincial government believes that the cost to society of the reintroduction of the more easily abused version of OxyContin far outweighs the financial benefits of the reduced generic price for the following reasons:
- A recent study found that the annual social costs from OxyContin abuse could be as high as $318 million in Ontario, and $504 million nationwide
- The addition of oxycodone controlled-release tablets to the Ontario drug formulary was associated with a five-fold increase in oxycodone-related mortality and a 41 per cent increase in overall opioid-related mortality
Presently, Ontario is proposing the following regulations to amend the Ontario Drug Benefit Act and the Drug Interchangeability and Dispensing Fee Act to limit access to generic OxyContin unless it is tamper-resistant:
