By Karin Yeske

Generic form of oxycodone worries doctor

Nov 22, 2012 | 11:19 AM

A Saskatoon doctor is disappointed that the federal government is refusing to ban a generic form of Oxycontin.

The federal health minister says federal laws don't let regulators simply ban a drug because some people abuse the medication.

Dr. Peter Butt, associate professor at the department of family medicine at the University of Saskatchewan, said he understands jurisdictional issues, but added that prescription drug abuse is bigger than the heroin problem in Canada.

Brand name Oxycontin was replaced by OxyNeo, a pill that is treated to make it difficult to grind into powder. In March, the province stopped funding the drug entirely, except for cancer patients.

“People would crush it and snort it. They might chew the slow release tabs to get immediate release,” Butt said.

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However with generic drugs, the easily-abused format could be back on the market.

Oxycontin is one of the easiest to abuse because of its chemical makeup. The drug is part instant released and part slow release, said Butt.

Butt works at a methadone clinic.

“Everyone that I see that is addicted to opiates with IV drug use is addicted to prescription opiates,” he said.

There are already measures in Saskatchewan to curb prescription drug abuse.

“All the prescriptions that are written and processed in the pharmacy are put on a digital database. If there are patterns that are of concern, they get flagged and then they get a follow up with a physician,” said Butt.

This would happen if a person is getting prescriptions from more than three doctors, for example.

The majority of oxycodone drug abusers are in their early 20s to their mid 30s, said Butt, adding many of them could have been saved from addiction had they been helped when they were at-risk children.

Part of the solution for Butt is a national opioid strategy that provides education to healthcare providers, practitioners and physicians.

“So that people have access to good assessments, good follow up and good treatment. It’s not just about opioids. It’s a broader approach to chronic pain management,” said Butt.

Chronic pain in patients tends to be more problematic because opioids are being prescribed for long periods of time. Physicians and patients run into difficulty when the expectation is that the pain level will be brought back to zero. Butt said the aim should be dropping pain levels by 30 per cent.

The next step is to address the generic form of Oxycontin at a provincial level to determine whether it will be approved for coverage.

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