Close X
Friday, November 29, 2024
ADVT 
National

Canada Now Allows Prescription Heroin In Severe Opioid Addiction Cases

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 08 Sep, 2016 01:09 PM
    VANCOUVER — Health Canada has amended regulations allowing doctors to prescribe heroin to people who are severely addicted to opioids.
     
    The government says the country is facing an opioid overdose crisis and health-care providers need help in treating patients suffering from chronic dependency.
     
    The change to the former Conservative government's legislation means pharmaceutical-grade heroin can be prescribed under a special-access program in cases where traditional treatment has failed.
     
    However, Health Canada says that while there is scientific evidence to support emergency access to the drug, the treatment is not an option for most people.
     
    Health Minister Jane Philpott has said the government will hold a summit this fall to address the issue of opioid addiction leading to hundreds of overdose deaths across Canada.
     
     
    Supervised heroin therapy is used in several countries, including Switzerland, Germany and the Netherlands, and a clinical trial in Canada has concluded injectable heroin was more effective than standard methadone treatment.
     
    British Columbia's health minister says addicts need every option to help them regain control of their lives.
     
    "It indicates a willingness on behalf of the federal government to look at a health-based kind of an issue rather than a criminal-based issue and that they're not limiting the range of treatment options that are available because there isn't one size that fits all in these situations," he said.
     
    "Given the opioid epidemic that we're facing, we need every tool that is available." (The Canadian Press, CHNL)

    MORE National ARTICLES

    Toronto Man, 35, Charged With Murder In Crossbow Incident That Left Three Dead

    Toronto Man, 35, Charged With Murder In Crossbow Incident That Left Three Dead
    Brett Ryan, 35, made a brief appearance in an east Toronto court Friday and was remanded until Sept. 2.

    Toronto Man, 35, Charged With Murder In Crossbow Incident That Left Three Dead

    Airbnb Host Recruitment Campaign Aggressive, Says Vancouver Councillor George Affleck

    Airbnb Host Recruitment Campaign Aggressive, Says Vancouver Councillor George Affleck
    The online, short-term rental site is trying to attract new hosts in Vancouver and other markets by offering a financial incentive

    Airbnb Host Recruitment Campaign Aggressive, Says Vancouver Councillor George Affleck

    Man Convicted In Sex Attacks Will Have Hearing On Psychiatric Assessment

    Man Convicted In Sex Attacks Will Have Hearing On Psychiatric Assessment
    ST. JOHN'S, N.L. — A court hearing will be held Oct. 11 on whether a man convicted of sex attacks in St. John's, N.L., should undergo a psychiatric assessment.

    Man Convicted In Sex Attacks Will Have Hearing On Psychiatric Assessment

    Nanaimo RCMP Investigating After Man Exposes Himself To Nine-Year-Old Girl

    Nanaimo RCMP Investigating After Man Exposes Himself To Nine-Year-Old Girl
    NANAIMO, B.C. — Nanaimo RCMP are investigating after a man allegedly exposed himself to a nine-year-old girl outside a coffee shop.

    Nanaimo RCMP Investigating After Man Exposes Himself To Nine-Year-Old Girl

    Manitoba RCMP Search For Beer Thieves, One Dressed In Goalie Gear

    Manitoba RCMP Search For Beer Thieves, One Dressed In Goalie Gear
    One of the two thieves in Russell, Man. was sporting goalie pads, a trapper mitt and a jersey with the number 17 on it.

    Manitoba RCMP Search For Beer Thieves, One Dressed In Goalie Gear

    Prime Minister Justin Trudeau Likely To Visit India In The 'Not So Distant Future'

    Prime Minister Justin Trudeau Likely To Visit India In The 'Not So Distant Future'
    Speaking on a range of issues, Canadian High Commissioner to India Nadir Patel said Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is likely to visit the country in the "not so distant future" and that dates are being worked out.

    Prime Minister Justin Trudeau Likely To Visit India In The 'Not So Distant Future'