From CTV News:
Two provincial investigations have been launched into a possible methadone kickback scheme uncovered by CTV News.
The B.C. Health Ministry and the B.C. College of Pharmacists say they will start an investigation into an Abbotsford pharmacy after watching hidden camera video of what appeared to be an offer to pay cash to a drug recovery house in return for methadone referrals.
"Good for CTV to dig this up. I can tell you we'll be all over this," said Health Minister Kevin Falcon.
Depending on the results of the investigation, the pharmacy manager, Gerrylyn Sonier, could lose her pharmacist's licence, and the pharmacy could lose its contract with PharmaCare.
In either case, the pharmacy would not be able to fill prescriptions of any kind, including methadone. ...more
Showing posts with label methadone. Show all posts
Showing posts with label methadone. Show all posts
Monday, January 25, 2010
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Vancouver pharmacy closed over methadone kickback claims
From the National Post:
A Downtown Eastside pharmacy has been told to close its doors amid allegations it provided cash kickbacks to addicts filling methadone prescriptions.
The AYC Pharmacy on East Hastings has had its licence suspended and was ordered to close indefinitely after an investigation by the College of Pharmacists, according to CBC News. The pharmacy must close by Dec. 1, but will operate on shortened hours until then so customers can find another place to fill prescriptions.
The college said the closure was a result of "medicine-management" issues involving patient safety, according to CBC.
The pharmacy is also being investigated by the Ministry of Health over allegations that it provided drug addicts with cash inducements to fill methadone prescriptions. Methadone is sometimes prescribed to drug users as an alternative to heroin.
B.C. pharmacies are paid $8.60 each time they dispense a drug. If pharmacies dispense methadone and supervise the patient as they take it, they receive an additional $7.70. ...more
A Downtown Eastside pharmacy has been told to close its doors amid allegations it provided cash kickbacks to addicts filling methadone prescriptions.
The AYC Pharmacy on East Hastings has had its licence suspended and was ordered to close indefinitely after an investigation by the College of Pharmacists, according to CBC News. The pharmacy must close by Dec. 1, but will operate on shortened hours until then so customers can find another place to fill prescriptions.
The college said the closure was a result of "medicine-management" issues involving patient safety, according to CBC.
The pharmacy is also being investigated by the Ministry of Health over allegations that it provided drug addicts with cash inducements to fill methadone prescriptions. Methadone is sometimes prescribed to drug users as an alternative to heroin.
B.C. pharmacies are paid $8.60 each time they dispense a drug. If pharmacies dispense methadone and supervise the patient as they take it, they receive an additional $7.70. ...more
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Methadone could help cocaine addicts: study
From the Calgary Herald:
Methadone, a drug used for many years to treat heroin addiction, also appears to work well against cocaine addiction, a new Canadian study suggests.
Psychologist Francesco Leri of the University of Guelph has been making rats addicted to cocaine, and then treating them with methadone.
Most of the rats responded well, he says. They lost their powerful urge for cocaine and, in addition, their brains "re-set" themselves into the same pattern that existed before they first used cocaine.
"It can be done tomorrow with humans, and should be done tomorrow," Leri said.
That's because methadone--unlike some new drug -- already exists as a tested drug, with clear prescription rules and clinical staff trained in giving it out.
"There is an entire system that is already in place for the employment of methadone," that could be used for cocaine addicts, Leri said. ...more
Methadone, a drug used for many years to treat heroin addiction, also appears to work well against cocaine addiction, a new Canadian study suggests.
Psychologist Francesco Leri of the University of Guelph has been making rats addicted to cocaine, and then treating them with methadone.
Most of the rats responded well, he says. They lost their powerful urge for cocaine and, in addition, their brains "re-set" themselves into the same pattern that existed before they first used cocaine.
"It can be done tomorrow with humans, and should be done tomorrow," Leri said.
That's because methadone--unlike some new drug -- already exists as a tested drug, with clear prescription rules and clinical staff trained in giving it out.
"There is an entire system that is already in place for the employment of methadone," that could be used for cocaine addicts, Leri said. ...more
Sunday, October 19, 2008
New treatment works
From the Vancouver Province:
A legal painkiller called Dilaudid is more effective in treating serious heroin addiction than methadone therapy, according to a groundbreaking Canadian study.
The North American Opiate Medication Initiative, also known as NAOMI, examined the effectiveness of prescription heroin on hard-core addicts in Vancouver and Montreal, who have repeatedly failed treatment in the past.
Over a 12- to 15-month period beginning March 2007, 115 addicts in the study were prescribed medical-grade heroin, while 25 addicts were given hydromorphone or Dilaudid in a double-blind study. A control group of 111 addicts received oral methadone.
The results, released Friday, showed improved physical and psychological health, a decrease in illicit heroin use and a drop in criminal activities among all participants.
The retention rate for addicts receiving heroin or Dilaudid was 88 per cent. All but one of the addicts receiving Dilaudid were not able to distinguish it from heroin. ...more
A legal painkiller called Dilaudid is more effective in treating serious heroin addiction than methadone therapy, according to a groundbreaking Canadian study.
The North American Opiate Medication Initiative, also known as NAOMI, examined the effectiveness of prescription heroin on hard-core addicts in Vancouver and Montreal, who have repeatedly failed treatment in the past.
Over a 12- to 15-month period beginning March 2007, 115 addicts in the study were prescribed medical-grade heroin, while 25 addicts were given hydromorphone or Dilaudid in a double-blind study. A control group of 111 addicts received oral methadone.
The results, released Friday, showed improved physical and psychological health, a decrease in illicit heroin use and a drop in criminal activities among all participants.
The retention rate for addicts receiving heroin or Dilaudid was 88 per cent. All but one of the addicts receiving Dilaudid were not able to distinguish it from heroin. ...more
Friday, September 12, 2008
Doctors call methadone kickbacks a 'big problem'
From the Vancouver Province:
Addictions doctors in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside have complained for months about pharmacists luring heroin addicts for their lucrative methadone prescriptions, and say rules around dispensing fees have to change.
"A lot of doctors have been frustrated by this," said Dr. Stan deVlaming, medical director for Inner City Primary Health Care for Vancouver Coastal Health Authority. "There have been numerous complaints spread over months for at least a year. . . It's a big problem, not a small one."
Heroin addicts prescribed methadone, which quells cravings, are getting kickbacks for filling their prescriptions at certain pharmacies, particularly in the Downtown Eastside and in Whalley's downtown in Surrey.
Offering incentives is against PharmaCare rules and the B.C. College of Pharmacists and B.C. Health are investigating. ...more
Addictions doctors in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside have complained for months about pharmacists luring heroin addicts for their lucrative methadone prescriptions, and say rules around dispensing fees have to change.
"A lot of doctors have been frustrated by this," said Dr. Stan deVlaming, medical director for Inner City Primary Health Care for Vancouver Coastal Health Authority. "There have been numerous complaints spread over months for at least a year. . . It's a big problem, not a small one."
Heroin addicts prescribed methadone, which quells cravings, are getting kickbacks for filling their prescriptions at certain pharmacies, particularly in the Downtown Eastside and in Whalley's downtown in Surrey.
Offering incentives is against PharmaCare rules and the B.C. College of Pharmacists and B.C. Health are investigating. ...more
Tuesday, September 09, 2008
Pharmacies accused of paying kickbacks to drug addicts
From the Globe and Mail:
Pharmacies that offer cash incentives to drug addicts for their daily methadone prescriptions are under investigation by the B.C. College of Pharmacists and PharmaCare, the provincial government's drug-insurance plan.
“I can confirm that we have an active investigation … but I am not in a position to reveal any details,” Lori DeCou, a college spokesperson, said yesterday in an interview.
Bernadette Murphy, a spokesperson for PharmaCare, said the provincial agency was working with other authorities. “The investigation has been going on for some months,” she said.
Helen Weiss, who has been working at the Native Health Society Medical Centre for six years, said yesterday five or six pharmacies in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside have posed problems for years.
Methadone is prescribed to addicts as a substitute for heroin. To ensure that the addicts consume the drug and do not resell it on the street, the pharmacists are expected to watch the addicts as they drink the methadone. ...more
Pharmacies that offer cash incentives to drug addicts for their daily methadone prescriptions are under investigation by the B.C. College of Pharmacists and PharmaCare, the provincial government's drug-insurance plan.
“I can confirm that we have an active investigation … but I am not in a position to reveal any details,” Lori DeCou, a college spokesperson, said yesterday in an interview.
Bernadette Murphy, a spokesperson for PharmaCare, said the provincial agency was working with other authorities. “The investigation has been going on for some months,” she said.
Helen Weiss, who has been working at the Native Health Society Medical Centre for six years, said yesterday five or six pharmacies in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside have posed problems for years.
Methadone is prescribed to addicts as a substitute for heroin. To ensure that the addicts consume the drug and do not resell it on the street, the pharmacists are expected to watch the addicts as they drink the methadone. ...more
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
City prepares new regulations for methadone dispensaries
From Surrey (BC) Now:
Surrey is set to adopt tougher rules to regulate pharmacies that dispense methadone.
Modeled on similar bylaws in Vancouver, council has given preliminary approval to new regulations aimed at preventing the concentration of these pharmacies in the Whalley downtown core.
Pharmacies dispensing methadone, a synthetic drug used to treat drug addiction, will have to be at least 400 metres away from another one.
Councillor Linda Hepner said the purpose of the stringent rules is to prevent small pharmacies from getting around being classed as a methadone dispensary simply by stocking "a few hair products and an aspirin."
"It is something we want to get a better control of," Hepner said.
The city centre has 16 full-service drugstores that dispense methadone and five methadone dispensaries. The dispensaries are all in the Whalley core within a few steps or blocks of each other. ...more
Surrey is set to adopt tougher rules to regulate pharmacies that dispense methadone.
Modeled on similar bylaws in Vancouver, council has given preliminary approval to new regulations aimed at preventing the concentration of these pharmacies in the Whalley downtown core.
Pharmacies dispensing methadone, a synthetic drug used to treat drug addiction, will have to be at least 400 metres away from another one.
Councillor Linda Hepner said the purpose of the stringent rules is to prevent small pharmacies from getting around being classed as a methadone dispensary simply by stocking "a few hair products and an aspirin."
"It is something we want to get a better control of," Hepner said.
The city centre has 16 full-service drugstores that dispense methadone and five methadone dispensaries. The dispensaries are all in the Whalley core within a few steps or blocks of each other. ...more
Friday, February 22, 2008
Lessons to be learned from methadone controversy, says pharmacist
From the Cape Breton (NS) Post:
It’s relatively uncommon for a complaint filed to the professional body governing Nova Scotia pharmacists to proceed to the hearing stage, its registrar said Tuesday.
Susan Wedlake, registrar with the College of Pharmacists, was commenting on a recent settlement worked out between the college and Glace Bay pharmacists Donald and David Ferguson of Ferguson’s Pharmacy in Glace Bay.
An investigation into how the pharmacy dispenses methadone resulted after Ron Whalen of Glace Bay filed a complaint about the care his son, Robert, received there on the day he died.
Wedlake noted the college can follow different processes in response to a complaint — they can be dismissed, resolved informally, or can go on to investigations committee or to hearing committee.
“(Whalen’s complaint) went all the way through the process . . . it’s not common that complaints end up at the hearings level,” Wedlake said. ...more
It’s relatively uncommon for a complaint filed to the professional body governing Nova Scotia pharmacists to proceed to the hearing stage, its registrar said Tuesday.
Susan Wedlake, registrar with the College of Pharmacists, was commenting on a recent settlement worked out between the college and Glace Bay pharmacists Donald and David Ferguson of Ferguson’s Pharmacy in Glace Bay.
An investigation into how the pharmacy dispenses methadone resulted after Ron Whalen of Glace Bay filed a complaint about the care his son, Robert, received there on the day he died.
Wedlake noted the college can follow different processes in response to a complaint — they can be dismissed, resolved informally, or can go on to investigations committee or to hearing committee.
“(Whalen’s complaint) went all the way through the process . . . it’s not common that complaints end up at the hearings level,” Wedlake said. ...more
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
Overdose victim’s dad calls for public inquiry
From the Halifax (NS) Chronicle Herald:
Two Glace Bay pharmacists will lose their licences for a week after an investigation found they dispensed methadone improperly.
One man died of an overdose of the drug.
And at least three other patients became ill after taking prescribed methadone prepared at Ferguson’s Pharmacy Ltd. in 2005.
The Nova Scotia College of Pharmacists launched a probe of David and Donald Ferguson after Ron Whalen filed a complaint.
Mr. Whalen’s son, Robert Whalen, 23, died in 2005 of a methadone overdose.
"I’m not very happy at all," Mr. Whalen of Glace Bay said Tuesday.
"The two of them lose their licence for a week and they don’t even have to close down the pharmacy. One guy can go to Florida and the other guy can run the pharmacy for a week and then vice versa." ...more
Two Glace Bay pharmacists will lose their licences for a week after an investigation found they dispensed methadone improperly.
One man died of an overdose of the drug.
And at least three other patients became ill after taking prescribed methadone prepared at Ferguson’s Pharmacy Ltd. in 2005.
The Nova Scotia College of Pharmacists launched a probe of David and Donald Ferguson after Ron Whalen filed a complaint.
Mr. Whalen’s son, Robert Whalen, 23, died in 2005 of a methadone overdose.
"I’m not very happy at all," Mr. Whalen of Glace Bay said Tuesday.
"The two of them lose their licence for a week and they don’t even have to close down the pharmacy. One guy can go to Florida and the other guy can run the pharmacy for a week and then vice versa." ...more
Sunday, July 29, 2007
Methadone mixup upsets Sask. pharmacists
From CBC News:
Confusion about how Saskatchewan pharmacists get paid for a federal methadone program was largely Health Canada's fault, an official with the department says.
Some Saskatchewan pharmacists were upset after getting a June newsletter from Health Canada's Non-Insured Health Benefits (NIHB) program that said, effectively, some of them could expect less money from now on.
Specifically, it told them that for each of their methadone clients, who typically receive a dose every day, they could bill for only one prescription a week, with the pharmacist's fee capped at $36.17. Methadone is a drug used to wean addicts off heroin. ...more
Confusion about how Saskatchewan pharmacists get paid for a federal methadone program was largely Health Canada's fault, an official with the department says.
Some Saskatchewan pharmacists were upset after getting a June newsletter from Health Canada's Non-Insured Health Benefits (NIHB) program that said, effectively, some of them could expect less money from now on.
Specifically, it told them that for each of their methadone clients, who typically receive a dose every day, they could bill for only one prescription a week, with the pharmacist's fee capped at $36.17. Methadone is a drug used to wean addicts off heroin. ...more
Thursday, July 26, 2007
Coverage changes
From the Regina Leader Post:
An advocacy association that represents Saskatchewan pharmacists believes that federal changes to methadone coverage short-changes its members.
Brett Filson, executive director of the Pharmacists' Association of Saskatchewan (PAS), said Canadian pharmacists weren't warned that the definition of a prescription changed until they got a newsletter in mid-June from the Non-Insured Health Benefits Program of the First Nations and Inuit Health Branch (NIHB).
Filson said he contacted NIHB last summer to ask questions about methadone coverage after a Saskatchewan pharmacy was audited and at that time, he was told that three different strengths of methadone constituted three different prescriptions and could be billed accordingly.
"When a patient is starting on it they'll have a strength for a few days and then the strength will be adjusted for a few days and then another strength adjustment will be made and the doctor will write that on the prescription," Filson explained. "Usually it's a run of about three days at each different strength as the patient is being brought on to the methadone." ...more
An advocacy association that represents Saskatchewan pharmacists believes that federal changes to methadone coverage short-changes its members.
Brett Filson, executive director of the Pharmacists' Association of Saskatchewan (PAS), said Canadian pharmacists weren't warned that the definition of a prescription changed until they got a newsletter in mid-June from the Non-Insured Health Benefits Program of the First Nations and Inuit Health Branch (NIHB).
Filson said he contacted NIHB last summer to ask questions about methadone coverage after a Saskatchewan pharmacy was audited and at that time, he was told that three different strengths of methadone constituted three different prescriptions and could be billed accordingly.
"When a patient is starting on it they'll have a strength for a few days and then the strength will be adjusted for a few days and then another strength adjustment will be made and the doctor will write that on the prescription," Filson explained. "Usually it's a run of about three days at each different strength as the patient is being brought on to the methadone." ...more
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
Methadone policy review 'impractical,' pharmacist says
From the St. Catharines (Ont.) Standard:
The recommendations of a coroner’s jury that examined the death of a St. Catharines man who poisoned himself with booze and methadone are well-meaning but impractical, a local pharmacist says.
“They were trying to do the right thing, that much is obvious,” said pharmacist Tom McAnulty, owner of Pharmasave on Carlton Street. “But their recommendations are impractical and expensive and really would not solve anything.”
Last week, after a two day coroner’s inquest was in the death of Grant Spielmacher, the jury recommended methadone policies in Ontario be reviewed.
Spielmacher died in the custody of Niagara Regional Police in February 2004. ...more
The recommendations of a coroner’s jury that examined the death of a St. Catharines man who poisoned himself with booze and methadone are well-meaning but impractical, a local pharmacist says.
“They were trying to do the right thing, that much is obvious,” said pharmacist Tom McAnulty, owner of Pharmasave on Carlton Street. “But their recommendations are impractical and expensive and really would not solve anything.”
Last week, after a two day coroner’s inquest was in the death of Grant Spielmacher, the jury recommended methadone policies in Ontario be reviewed.
Spielmacher died in the custody of Niagara Regional Police in February 2004. ...more
Friday, June 29, 2007
Patients survive drug mistake
From the Waterloo (Ont.) Record:
Six people who were sent to hospital this week after a Waterloo pharmacist over-prescribed their methadone treatment were lucky to have survived, say experts who specialize in the drug.
Overdosing on methadone -- a narcotic drug used to treat opiate addicts and severe pain sufferers -- can be fatal. In this case, the six who started showing signs of overdose Monday after taking their prescription from University Pharmacy on King Street in Waterloo were treated at hospital and released. Although the store's pharmacist declined to comment yesterday, police say the patients were immediately contacted and advised to go to hospital once the pharmacist realized the error.
Detectives decided charges will not be laid in the case, said police representative Olaf Heinzel.
The six suffered minor physical complaints, mostly discomfort, police said, before receiving treatment to counteract the overdose.
Dr. Nathan Frank, director of the Kitchener methadone clinic, which treats some 400 patients, said there is not much room for error when dealing with methadone, and the dangers are more pronounced with people whose bodies have not yet developed a tolerance for it. ...more
Six people who were sent to hospital this week after a Waterloo pharmacist over-prescribed their methadone treatment were lucky to have survived, say experts who specialize in the drug.
Overdosing on methadone -- a narcotic drug used to treat opiate addicts and severe pain sufferers -- can be fatal. In this case, the six who started showing signs of overdose Monday after taking their prescription from University Pharmacy on King Street in Waterloo were treated at hospital and released. Although the store's pharmacist declined to comment yesterday, police say the patients were immediately contacted and advised to go to hospital once the pharmacist realized the error.
Detectives decided charges will not be laid in the case, said police representative Olaf Heinzel.
The six suffered minor physical complaints, mostly discomfort, police said, before receiving treatment to counteract the overdose.
Dr. Nathan Frank, director of the Kitchener methadone clinic, which treats some 400 patients, said there is not much room for error when dealing with methadone, and the dangers are more pronounced with people whose bodies have not yet developed a tolerance for it. ...more
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