Abstract
The health ministers of Canada's provinces and territories have unanimously agreed to ask for a delay in the approval of a generic form of OxyContin.
The ministers made the appeal to the federal government on September 27, 2012, as they met in Halifax to discuss a range of health issues — from federal health care transfer payments to recently announced cuts to the health benefits of some refugees.
Nova Scotia Health Minister David Wilson, host of the provincial/territorial gathering, said he and his colleagues agree that further research should be done before any generic versions of the highly addictive and frequently abused drug are approved for the Canadian market.
Although OxyContin remains legal in Canada, Ontario and other provinces and territories no longer fund it. The drug's manufacturer, Purdue Pharma, is now marketing OxyNeo as a replacement that is more difficult to grind up to make a powder or liquid for illicit use.
The patent for OxyContin expires on November 25, 2012. Health Canada says it has received applications for generic versions.
The provincial/territorial ministers presented their unanimous request to federal health minister Leona Aglukkaq, when she joined their meeting on September 28. Health Canada's decisions on drug approvals aren't based on politicians' views, she said at a news conference.