Pubdate: Sun, 18 Mar 2001
Source: Province, The (CN BC)
Section: Page A31
Copyright: 2001 The Province
Contact:  200 Granville Street, Ste. #1, Vancouver, BC V6C 3N3 Canada
Fax: (604) 605-2323
Website: http://www.vancouverprovince.com/
Author: Wendy McLellan

PRESCRIPTION TO REFORM METHADONE DISPENSING

The B.C. Pharmacy Association has proposed a new way of paying pharmacists 
to dispense methadone to reduce the opportunities for abuse of the 
government-funded program.

The association has presented its proposal to the provincial Health 
Ministry and expects a response this week, said the organization's 
communications director, Judith Chrystal.

The government currently pays pharmacists a flat fee of $105 a month for 
each methadone client they serve, plus the cost of mixing the drug compound.

But pharmacists are charging the government a wide range of prices for the 
drug, from two cents per milliliter to as much as 50 cents in a few cases, 
Chrystal said.  The actual costs for mixing the drug is closer to two cents.

In Surrey, some pharmacists were recently found to be offering cash - $10 
to $50 -to entice drug addicts to fill their methadone prescriptions at 
their drugstores.

"We think some pharmacists may be feeling squeezed by the $105 a month if 
they are seeing some patients every day," Chrystal said.  "That's the only 
explanation we can come up with for why they would do this."

The association commissioned a study last year to examine the actual costs 
for pharmacists to deal with methadone patients and has proposed the 
government set a maximum fee for drug costs and pay pharmacists for each 
patient visit rather than a flat monthly rate.

Chrystal said the change won't increase the cost of the program and it will 
make the system fair and more difficult to abuse.

She said the association is opposed to pharmacists paying cash to addicts 
for their methadone prescriptions and wants B.C.'s College of Pharmacists 
to amend its code of ethics to forbid the "unethical" practice.

Brenda Osmond, deputy registrar of the college, said letters have been sent 
to pharmacists asking them to voluntarily stop paying cash for the 
prescriptions. Meanwhile, Surrey city council has voted to prohibit the 
practice.
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