According to an official news release from the Health Living, Youth and Seniors Minister Jim Rondeau additional safeguards for the use of OxyContin will soon be placed in Manitoba.The province is planning “aggressive action on OxyContin misuse”.
This includes moving the prescription drug to part three of the Provincial Drug Program Formulary, which includes an education campaign and funding for training to facilitate an increase in the number of physicians with a methadone license.
The Provincial Drug Program Formulary consists of three parts, each with an increasing number of controls. Moving OxyContin to the third part means the highest level of controls on the prescribing of the drug in addition to the existing controls.
Existing controls include the Manitoba Prescribing Practices Program, which is used to monitor and control the prescription and dispensation of certain restricted drugs.
The education campaign, aimed at patients with OxyContin prescriptions as well as the general public, is currently being developed. Manitoba is looking to increase understanding of the dangers of misuse of the painkiller and will include posters and pamphlets to be distributed to medical clinics and pharmacies around the province.
Furthermore, as part of the Minister’s overall strategy is the increased capacity to provide methadone treatment for OxyContin addiction. This is to include funding for training of physicians in methadone treatment to facilitate the overall increase in the number of physicians who are licensed and trained to administer methadone as part of drug addiction treatment.