Opioid treatment advocate 'delighted' after Suboxone restrictions lifted

The mother of a young man who died of a prescription drug overdose in 2014 is 'delighted' afterchanges were announced yesterday to makethe drug Suboxonemore accessible.

• B.C. College of Physicians and Surgeons lifts 'outdated' restriction on Suboxone to help overdose crisis
• CBC INVESTIGATES: 'Outdated' restrictions on Suboxone making B.C.'s overdose crisis worse

Leslie McBain is an opioid treatment advocate. Shesays her son,Jordan Miller, would still be alive if he had had better access to the drug, whichstops cravings foropioidsand prevents withdrawal symptoms.

"We tried ... I don't know how many doctors, to find someone who could treat him with Suboxone."she said in an interview with CBC Radio's The Early Edition.

McBain says Jordanwas addicted to oxycodone, an opioidpain medication thatwas prescribed by their family doctor for a back injury he sustained at work.

'A long time coming'

After six months of taking the drug, Miller decided he neededdetoxfrom the drug. It wasfollowed by what McBain describes as a 'painful withdrawal.'

"We came up empty," said McBain. "He relapsed after about a month, and he died after an overdose."

McBainsays she was delighted to hear yesterday's announcement and hopes it will open the door toothers struggling with treatingopioidaddiction.

"It's been a long time coming," she said. "It is, in my mind, the drug that will help a lot of people that are willing to recover."

A major drug report last month called on the college to remove "outdated" restrictions on the pill, which has been credited with an 80 per cent reduction in fatal opioid overdoses in France.

The change, which came into effect July 1, means all B.C. doctors can prescribe Suboxoneand will no longer be required to hold an exemption.

With files from CBC's The Early Edition