Pubdate: Sat, 14 Feb 2009
Source: Daily Gleaner (CN NK)
Copyright: 2009 Brunswick News Inc.
Contact:  http://dailygleaner.canadaeast.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/3857
Author: Michael Staples
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/oxycontin.htm (Oxycontin/Oxycodone)

PRESCRIPTION MONITORING PROGRAM MAY BE THE CURE

The illegal sale of prescription drugs remains a concern for law 
enforcement officials in the Fredericton area.

Staff Sgt. Gary Hadley, who heads up the drugs/organized crime unit 
at RCMP J Division, said the problem seems to be centred on the 
southern part of the province - in the Fredericton, Moncton and 
Charlotte County areas.

"It seems the trend is towards this area and this is where you will 
find the most," Hadley said.

Painkillers such as Dilaudid and OxyContin, once used only for 
terminally ill patients but now routinely prescribed for a multitude 
of pain symptoms, seem to be the most popular, Hadley said.

Earlier this month, members of the Codiac RCMP's drug section and 
street crime unit executed a search warrant under the Controlled 
Drugs and Substances Act at a location on Williams Street in Moncton. 
A man in his 30s was arrested and is facing of possessing 
prescription pills (OxyContin) for the purpose of trafficking.

"I think we've made some progress," Hadley said. "But it's still out 
there. There's no doubt about it."

Hadley said the fact prescription drugs are legal and can obtained by 
people with

Williams Street in Moncton. A man in his 30s was arrested and is 
facing charges of possessing prescription pills (OxyContin) for the 
purpose of trafficking.

"I think we've made some progress," Hadley said. "But it's still out 
there. There's no doubt about it."

Hadley said the fact prescription drugs are legal and can obtained by 
people with legitimate reasons makes battling the problem difficult.

Getting hooked on these drugs causes all sorts of problems for the 
community, Hadley said.

These issues come to light through criminal activity as those hooked 
try to find the money to continue to feed their habit.

Experts say drugs such as Dilaudid and OxyContin, while extremely 
effective when used for treating pain, are highly addictive - several 
times more so than heroin.

"Police, enforcement-wise, have made quite an impact on the 
street-level trafficking, and not only street-level but at the other 
levels, too," Hadley said.

"These drugs were being exported from Canada. There have been 
operations the last few years where we've targeted traffickers and 
higher-end traffickers and have had great success."

Law enforcement officials, meanwhile, are anxious to see the arrival 
of the prescription monitoring program, a multimillion-dollar 
drug-tracking system expected to be ready this year.

Once operational, it will link pharmacies in an electronic database 
to prevent what's referred to as "double doctoring," where patients 
obtain multiple prescriptions for controlled pain narcotics.

It will allow the government and pharmacists to track all 
prescriptions of the highly addictive drugs.

"This will certainly be something that's beneficial to try and 
eradicate the problem," Hadley said.

"People go from one doctor to another and, if you don't have that 
information base to cross-reference, it's hard for the public health 
system to keep track of what's going on."

MacKnight said the department has been working closely with the 
Department of Health and is encouraged by the system's capabilities.
- ---
MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom