“Health Canada has swiftly approved six generic copies of the widely abused painkiller OxyContin, despite urgings from some of the country’s leading pain doctors and researchers to delay approval in the name of ‘patient and public safety’.”
That’s the lead paragraph in a story today in the Ottawa Citizen about the rush by generic drug companies to begin producing the semi-synthetic opioid once the original manufacturer Purdue Pharma’s patent expired. Because it’s an opioid (ie. it shares family ties with heroin), OxyContin has proven to be extremely addictive. So the more of it that’s around, and the cheaper it is to acquire, well… I probably don’t have to draw you a picture.
Now for today’s fun fact: It’s my understanding that while Saskatchewan’s Workers’ Compensation Board won’t pay clients’ costs to purchase medical marijuana for pain relief and other health benefits, they will pay for drugs like OxyContin with a proven track record of addiction. And if you do become addicted, they’ll pay for your rehab.
