Communities need help with funding for suboxone programs

Generic oxycodone production and use of Suboxone for treating addictions were among the prescription drug abuse issues raised during the Nov. 27-29 Special Ontario Chiefs Assembly.
“We are seeking a collaborative approach with the (Ontario) health minister (Deb Matthews) to try to put pressure on the federal health minister (Leona Aglukkaq) and the government of Canada to recognize the horrendous impacts these drugs are having in our communities,” said Anishinabek Nation Grand Council Chief Patrick Madahbee. “There are 13 different jurisdictions across the country, of Deb Matthews counterparts, that are trying to tell the federal government the concerns with allowing the permitting of these drugs for market.”
Madahbee raised the generic oxycodone issue during a live webcast on the third day of the special chiefs assembly, which was held at the Westin Harbour Castle in Toronto.
“We have to put pressure on the federal government as a whole if the (federal) health minister is not prepared to take responsibility for the portfolio she has,” Madahbee said.
Aglukkaq told her provincial and territorial counterparts on Nov. 19 that she would not politically interfere with the regulatory approval process for a generic form of OxyContin. That decision allows drug manufacturers to develop a generic form of the drug after the patent for it expired on Nov. 25.
Madahbee also raised the use of Suboxone for treating opiate addictions, which he said has now been made more flexible as an alternative to the use of methadone.
“The opiate addiction problems in our community has raised a lot of havoc,” said Long Lake #58’s Judy Desmoulin during the webcast. “And it’s through this drug (Suboxone) that we are able to speak to our people once again who are recovering from this addiction.”
Although the Suboxone treatment program has been a success in her community, Desmoulin said it is not covered by the benefits available to status Indians.
“So my chief and our council footed the bill to cover this drug for the first group for the first few months,” Desmoulin said. “And we continue to advocate with the government to have it covered.”
Desmoulin also spoke about the assistance needed by babies born with opiate addictions.
“In our community we have a celebration every year where we celebrate the babies that were born,” Desmoulin said. “It’s really sad because of the addiction problem in our community, the number of babies born has been cut in half. And the other thing is our babies are hospitalized for anywhere from three to six weeks after they are born. They have to go through withdrawal. They are given morphine to go through this process.”