Thank you for that question.
This is a very complex issue that requires us to balance access to drugs for therapeutic purposes while protecting the individuals and the communities against the harm caused by prescription drug diversions or abuse. Addressing the area of prescription drug abuse involves many stakeholders in the health care systems, from the federal, provincial, territorial governments, to physicians, to prescription drug manufacturers and distributors, and health care providers as well as law enforcement officials.
With respect to the generic OxyContin, under the Food and Drugs Act, there is no basis for the health minister to withhold approval of a drug where the drug is otherwise considered safe and effective for its recommended use. The law does not permit approval to be withheld on the basis of potential misuse or abuse. Our government is doing everything in its jurisdiction to address the issue, so Health Canada will now impose tougher new conditions on the licences of dealers who manufacture and distribute products that contain the controlled release formulation of oxycodone.
Part of the reason for the abuse of OxyContin is that it was sometimes prescribed for conditions it was never intended to deal with. There's overprescribing and giving it out in amounts far greater than what was needed.
Yesterday, and in my letter to my provincial and territorial counterparts, which I mentioned in my comments, I called upon the provincial and territorial governments and medical practitioners to look at what they can do within their areas of jurisdiction to tackle the serious problem of prescription drug abuse. I am open to considering a greater federal role, as I stated yesterday, in overseeing the use of potentially addictive drugs, including restrictions on prescribing or dispensing practices.
There is a high risk that creating more bureaucratic hoops for physicians and pharmacists to jump through will have a negative impact on patient care. My strong preference is that we work together to address this issue within the existing laws and authorities. I want to remind all of us that the most important factor in every decision is the patient.