Pubdate: Fri, 22 Aug 2014
Source: Toronto Star (CN ON)
Copyright: 2014 The Toronto Star
Contact:  http://www.thestar.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/456
Author: Peter Edwards
Page: 4
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?131 (Heroin Maintenance)
Bookmark: http://mapinc.org/topic/SALOME (Study to Assess Longer-term 
Opioid Medication)

GROUP OF VANCOUVER ADDICTS WILL RECEIVE HEROIN BY DECEMBER, LAWYER SAYS

Health Ministry 'Disappointed' With B.C. Supreme Court Decision on 
Prescribing Drug

A group of Vancouver drug addicts is slated to become Canada's first 
recipients of legally prescribed heroin by Christmas.

As many as 202 patients should receive the laboratory-manufactured 
heroin from Europe by the end of the year, their lawyer said Thursday.

"I think there's a sense of relief," said Adrienne Smith, the health 
and drug policy lawyer with the Pivot Legal Society that represented 
five heroin addicts from Vancouver's downtown East Side.

"I think there's still lots of work to be done for other people in 
Canada who required medication and who have been barred because of 
(federal) ministry of health interference."

The patients won the right to receive lab-produced diacetylmorphine 
(heroin) after B.C. Supreme Court Chief Justice Christopher Hinkson 
granted an injunction in May exempting them from new federal regulations.

Since then, there have been bureaucratic hurdles to clear to achieve 
the necessary permissions.

There's also the process of ordering the heroin that's produced in 
Europe through a Canadian distributor. Smith said it's expected to 
take almost two months to finally ship the heroin from Europe, 
meaning it will be in Canada in late December.

The patients went to court after Minister of Health Rona Ambrose 
moved last October to close what she called a "loophole" that allowed 
physicians to prescribe products containing heroin, cocaine, LSD and ecstasy.

Ministry of Health spokesperson Sean Upton said the government will 
not appeal the injunction but will continue to vigorously defend the 
regulations in court.

A spokesperson for Ambrose said the government does not support 
giving heroin to patients struggling with addiction.

"We are very disappointed with the court's decision, and will always 
choose to help those struggling with addiction through recovery, not 
maintain their dangerous and life-threatening addiction," said 
Michael Bolkenius.

The new federal regulations barred physicians from prescribing 
laboratory-manufactured heroin to patients who haven't had success 
with other treatments, including methadone.

The constitutional challenge was mounted by the Providence Health 
Care Society and five patients who argued that their health improved 
while they were in a government-funded study called the Study to 
Assess Longer-term Opioid Medication Effectiveness (SALOME).

Smith represents the patients but not the Providence Health Care Society.

Hinkson's ruling has narrow scope, meaning the lab-produced heroin 
will be available only for the 202 former patients with severe opiate 
addictions who participated in the SALOME study.

Before they can receive the heroin this winter, they must prove they 
still medically require it, Smith said.

The patients who mounted the court challenge have a proven record of 
failing to respond to other therapies, such as methadone treatments.

They're also supported by requests from their physicians.

One doctor in an affidavit associated opioid use disorder with 
"compulsive drug-seeking behaviour, infectious diseases and related 
risk behaviours, such as sharing syringes, sex-trade involvement, 
fatal overdose and drug acquisition crime.

"Through their high consumption of illicit drugs, heroin-addicted 
individuals also contribute to the highly profitable and often 
violent illegal drug market which is believed to be largely 
controlled by organized crime groups."
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom