This summer, the federal health minister asked more than 100 pharmaceutical companies to stop marketing opioids to health care professionals in Canada.
As of Sept 5, 25 have responded so far:
- 19 say they don’t currently promote or sell opioids in Canada.
- 6 others agreed to cease marketing opioids.
- 1 wrote to clarify the distinction between products prescribed for pain and those meant for addiction treatment. This was Indivior Canada, which makes the opioid replacement therapy Suboxone.
Read more here:
https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/health-canada-opioid-marketing-1.4814427
Opioid Substitution Therapy
When an individual is are addicted to opioid medications or opioid-based street drugs, they will go through withdrawal symptoms when when they no longer take opioids their body has become accustomed to.
Individual refer to feeling “sick” and having severe flu like symptoms. OST is when a physician prescribes an opioid medication that counters the withdrawal symptoms and acts as a substitute for the opioids they were already taking. 1
“OST…can eliminate signs and symptoms of opioid withdrawal, suppress opioid cravings, and eliminate illicit opioid use in adults.” 2
1 How Opioid Substitution Therapy Works http://acttoronto.com/how-opioid-substitution-therapy-works/
2 Suboxone Versus Methadone for the Detoxification of Patients Addicted to Prescription Opioids: A Review of Comparative Clinical Effectiveness, Safety, and Guidelines. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK274043/
https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/health-canada-opioid-marketing-1.4814427
