Another Conservative Minister brushes off concerns of nations

A few weeks ago, Alvin Fiddler was informed that as much as 80 per cent of members in some Nishnawbe Aski Nation communities were addicted to painkillers.

“That means whole communities are being impacted,” said the NAN deputy grand chief.

Now the battle against painkillers such as OxyContin has become even that much harder.

Despite warnings from First Nations, tribal police forces, provincial governments and provincial health departments, Health Canada has given the go-ahead to the production of generic OxyContin.

“It’s not good news for us on many fronts,” said Fiddler. “The already high rates we have of our communities abusing and misusing these painkillers, especially the OxyContin, it just means the numbers will continue to escalate.”

In November 2009, NAN declared a prescription drug abuse state of emergency. That declaration still stands, he said.

The Special Chiefs Assembly for the Assembly of First Nations recently passed a resolution, which Fiddler seconded, calling, in part, for the AFN to lobby Health Canada to reconsider its decision, as well as prevent generic forms of OxyContin being included on the drug benefit list through the First Nations and Inuit Health Non-Insured Health Benefits (NIHB) program.
The Liberal Opposition has also called for the federal government to reconsider.

Ontario chiefs joined Carolyn Bennett, Aboriginal Affairs critic for the Liberals, for a news conference Dec. 4, the first day of the Special Chiefs Assembly held in Gatineau, Que.

“It was very powerful to hear from the NAN chiefs that this is to them a matter of life and death,” said Bennett. “It’s a public health emergency that the minister is refusing to deal with.”
Bennett, a medical doctor, said when OxyContin came on the market in 1996 it was unclear that the painkiller would be so widely prescribed and prove to be so extremely addictive. Almost 20 years later, the impact of OxyContin is clear and Bennett said she is uncertain as to why Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq is rushing to approve generic forms of the drug.

“(Aglukkaq) says she doesn’t have the power (to stop it),” said Bennett, “but even if she refuses to reverse her decision she has the ability to not place it on the drug benefit formulary for First Nations and Inuit Health.”

Not only has OxyContin led to addiction issues, but it has also led to increased violence and a growing black market.

In a news release, the Nishnawbe-Aski Police Service, which serves 35 of the 49 NAN communities, stated “This year alone, illicit OxyContin drugs valued at over $1 million have been seized and prevented from ending up in northern communities. The market for these drugs in northern communities is so lucrative that criminal organizations from the Greater Toronto Area are targeting the NAN communities.”

Fiddler said communities are taking action to help those who are addicted to OxyContin by treating them with suboxone, which seems to be more effective than methadone. However, suboxone is not readily available. The resolution, which was approved by the chiefs unanimously, also calls for the AFN to lobby the NIHB program to approve the use of suboxone for clinical medical detoxification, which would allow First Nation members to remain in their communities for treatment.

Bennett said it is unclear when the generic forms of OxyContin will be available, but “within hours of the patent expiring, (Agglukark) approved six companies to make the generic version.” However, Agglukark has yet to meet with First Nations.

“If the minister of health agreed to work with us that would be a good first step, so we could begin to work on a comprehensive strategy. But based on her letter… her message basically is that she has no time to meet,” said Fiddler.

In an email response, Blossom Leung, media relations officer with Health Canada, said the decision to allow for generic forms of OxyContin was made “based on a scientific review of evidence” and when used as recommended, the drug was considered safe and effective. She noted that the government “is taking strong action against the misuse of controlled release formulations of oxycodone.”

Leung also noted that approximately $90 million annually is invested to support treatment centres and drug and alcohol abuse prevention services in more than 550 First Nations and Inuit communities across Canada.

That funding is not enough, said Fiddler, if members are going to be treated in their home communities.
The Liberals are calling for the creation of a task force to study the implications of allowing generic forms of OxyContin on the market.