A ground-breaking medication recently became more accessible to opioid addicts in Alberta.
Suboxone is a non-dangerous substance that causes effects similar to pain-killing opioids, so it can be used to replace them. The substance was recently moved into a different subscription category, meaning that more patients have access to it now.
A spokeswoman of the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Alberta spoke on the matter. She said this move is the first case of this type for Canada. Substances have never been moved into different subscription categories ever before in the country.
Dr. Monica Wickland-Weller, the senior medical advisor of the college, believes that the decision to move Suboxone on a different list will also ease damaging misconceptions. She said: “Having that medication in the Type 1 category caused some challenges to physicians who were managing patients with opioid use disorder. Moving it from Type 1 to Type 2 means it can be ordered as a normal prescription while reducing stigma. It’s a step that could save lives by easing access and lowering stigma.”
According to Wickland-Weller, Suboxone, also known as or buprenorphine or naloxone, is a key element that contributes to the change. She also added that the substance could not be used to overdose, so using it to treat opioids addicts is a good choice.
The decision was crafted by the triplicate prescription program steering committee.
Thousands of addicts in Alberta have been prescribed Suboxone to combat their opioid dependence by reducing cravings. This treatment, taken alongside sessions of therapy, could be the best approach to combat the opioid crisis in Alberta.
