Pubdate: Tue, 14 Mar 2006
Source: Ottawa Citizen (CN ON)
Copyright: 2006 The Ottawa Citizen
Contact:  http://www.canada.com/ottawa/ottawacitizen/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/326
Author: Alexandra Zabjek, The Ottawa Citizen
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?136 (Methadone)

METHADONE CLINIC REASSURES PATIENTS

Prescriptions Will Continue To Be Filled

The Ontario Addiction Treatment Centre on Somerset Street has
reassured its clients that they need not worry about the availability
of methadone for their treatment programs.

The Ontario College of Pharmacists set yesterday as a deadline for the
treatment centre's main supplier to stop shipping methadone to it and
several similar centres around the province, prompting fears that
methadone patients could be forced to seek treatment elsewhere.

But on Friday, the clinic posted a sign indicating that patients would
be able to continue filling their prescriptions. A notice on the
treatment centre's website states: "Published media reports in recent
days have indicated that there might be a shortage of methadone for
OATC patients. This is not the case. Your methadone prescription will
continue to be available as usual."

That appeared to be the case yesterday as several clients arrived at
the Somerset Street clinic and had no problems getting their dose of
the narcotic. Methadone is a synthetic narcotic used to wean patients
off opiate-based painkillers and heroin. It is usually administered in
a liquid form and is mixed with an orange drink.

One treatment centre client, Neil Paul, a 45-year-old native of New
Brunswick, said he received his methadone dosage without any trouble.

Mr. Paul was assured by centre staff that he would be able to continue
getting his prescription. Access to methadone is essential for him to
continue working and living a normal life, after years of abusing hard
drugs.

There had been some concern that methadone supplies could be affected
by the College of Pharmacists' stop-shipment order to the drug's main
supplier. The College has accused Kitchener-based pharmacists, Wing
and Sue Wong, for supplying methadone to treatment centres without
being present when patients ingest the drug. After about two years of
warnings, the college ordered the Wongs' drug shipments to stop as of
yesterday.
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