B.C. announces universal coverage for opioid treatments
Posted June 14, 2023 11:20 am.
Last Updated June 14, 2023 12:47 pm.
British Columbia is now the first province in Canada to provide universal coverage for some medications used to treat opioid-use disorders.
The B.C. government announced “Plan Z” on Wednesday, stating that retroactive to June 6, opioid agonist treatment (OAT) medications will be covered by the province’s Medical Services Plan (MSP).
OATs are a medication-assisted treatment option, such as methadone, for people with an opioid-use disorder.
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Minister of Mental Health and Addictions Jennifer Whiteside says the announcement comes as toxic drugs continue to claim lives at “an unprecedented rate.”
“When people reach out for help, we want them met with support regardless of the size of their pocketbook,” she said. “Removing these cost barriers to medication-assisted treatment will help more people stabilize their lives, prevent deaths and stay on their journey to wellness.”
According to the province, OATs are shown to improve retention in treatment and help reduce the risk of death. However, it is noted that OATs are different than safe supply.
“Safer supply is a harm-reduction model of care in which clinicians prescribe pharmaceutical alternatives to illicit drugs in order to separate people from the toxic illicit street-drug market. However, prescribed safer supply can often be a first step for someone to begin accessing addictions care, including OAT,” the province said.
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In 2021-22, the government says of the 34,520 patients who utilized OAT medications, nearly all had coverage through PharmaCare, adding the approximately 1,638 who paid out of pocket will now be eligible for coverage through MSP.
-With files from The Canadian Press