B.C. announces universal coverage for medication to treat opioid addiction

British Columbia says it's the first province in Canada to provide universal coverage for eligible medications used for the treatment of opioid-use disorder.

On Thursday the province announced that as of June 6, opioid agonist treatment (OAT), which uses medications such as methadone or Suboxone to manage opioid withdrawal symptoms and help people work towardrecovery, will be universally covered for any B.C. resident with an active medical services plan (MSP).

"By reducing financial barriers to opioid agonist treatment medication, we're making it easier for people to get the care they need and helping create more equitable health outcomes for people in B.C," said Minister of HealthAdrian Dix in a release.

The province said during the 2021-22 fiscal year 32,882 people received coverage of OAT treatment medications through PharmaCare, B.C.'s publicly funded program that helps residents pay for some prescription drugs. A further 1,638 patients paid out of pocket for the medications.

Under the new rules, those patients will now be 100 per cent covered for OAT medication costs under another provincial coverage plan called Plan Z.

"Removing these cost barriers to medication-assisted treatment will help more people stabilize their lives, prevent deaths and stay on their journey to wellness," said Minister of Mental Health and Addictions Jennifer Whiteside.

The province said the change will remove barriers, such as registering for other coverage plans, or getting tax information to register for PharmaCare, for residents with MSP coverage wanting to access OAT medications.

OAT versus safer supply

OAT differs from prescribed safer supply, which is a harm-reduction model of care in which clinicians prescribe pharmaceutical alternatives to illicit drugs.

Safer supply is meant to stop people from using toxic illicit street drugs and can be the first step in the course of care that leads patients to accessing addictions care, which can include OAT.

Thursday's OAT announcementcomes amid pushback from B.C. health officials againstcriticism of the province's safe supply program and drug policies by people including federal Opposition Leader Pierre Poilievre.

Long-time methadone user and advocate Garth Mullins said he has been advocating for coverage for these types of medications for a long time.

He said people taking methadone or suboxone are often forced to go to the pharmacy daily totake theirdose under pharmacist supervision. They pay dispensing fees each visit.

"You can imagine $15 or $20 a day, every day of the year. That adds up pretty quick," he told On The Coast guest host Kathryn Marlow.

Mullins addedthat there are still barriers for many who are using prescription medication for opioid addiction; the fact that people have to visit the pharmacy daily to take their medicine, rather than being able to take it at home, means people can't find work that allows for that time, and can'tleave the city to visit loved ones.

"It's why we call it liquid handcuffs. There's so many rules."

Medicines like hydromorphone and dilaudid won't be covered, which could be problematic for people who are addicted to higher potency drugs, he said.

Almost 600 people in B.C. died in the first three months of 2023 because of the toxic drug supply, according to data released by the B.C. Coroners Service in April.

The toll of 596 deaths is the second highest number recorded for that period since a public health emergency was declared in 2016 due to the crisis. The same period last year saw 599 deaths.