Thursday, June 15, 2023

SOCIALIST MEDICINE

B.C. announces universal coverage for medication to treat opioid addiction

Province says it’s first in Canada to fully cover eligible 

medications such as methadone, Suboxone

White Suboxone pills are displayed on a blue tray with a bottle and small boxes of the drug in the background.
Suboxone is a drug used to help people struggling with opioid addiction, by curbing cravings and offsetting withdrawal symptoms. (Sally Pitt/CBC)

British Columbia says it's the first province in Canada to provide universal coverage for eligible medications used for the treatment of opioid-use disorder.

On Thursday the province announced that as of June 6, opioid agonist treatment (OAT), which uses medications such as methadone or Suboxone to manage opioid withdrawal symptoms and help people work toward recovery, will be universally covered for any B.C. resident with an active medical services plan (MSP).

"By reducing financial barriers to opioid agonist treatment medication, we're making it easier for people to get the care they need and helping create more equitable health outcomes for people in B.C," said Minister of Health Adrian Dix in a release.

The province said during the 2021-22 fiscal year 32,882 people received coverage of OAT treatment medications through PharmaCare, B.C.'s publicly funded program that helps residents pay for some prescription drugs. A further 1,638 patients paid out of pocket for the medications.

Under the new rules, those patients will now be 100 per cent covered for OAT medication costs under another provincial coverage plan called Plan Z.

"Removing these cost barriers to medication-assisted treatment will help more people stabilize their lives, prevent deaths and stay on their journey to wellness," said Minister of Mental Health and Addictions Jennifer Whiteside.

 

The province said the change will remove barriers, such as registering for other coverage plans, or getting tax information to register for PharmaCare, for residents with MSP coverage wanting to access OAT medications.

OAT versus safer supply

OAT differs from prescribed safer supply, which is a harm-reduction model of care in which clinicians prescribe pharmaceutical alternatives to illicit drugs.

Safer supply is meant to stop people from using toxic illicit street drugs and can be the first step in the course of care that leads patients to accessing addictions care, which can include OAT.

Thursday's OAT announcement comes amid pushback from B.C. health officials against criticism of the province's safe supply program and drug policies by people including federal Opposition Leader Pierre Poilievre.

Almost 600 people in B.C. died in the first three months of 2023 because of the toxic drug supply, according to data released by the B.C. Coroners Service in April.

The toll of 596 deaths is the second highest number recorded for that period since a public health emergency was declared in 2016 due to the crisis. The same period last year saw 599 deaths.

With files from The Canadian Press

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