They seem to be getting stronger and stronger. My colleague just mentioned that there is a new one out there that is 100 times more potent, a super fentanyl. I think we really have to focus on prevention.
We had Dr. David Juurlink from the division of clinical pharmacology and toxicology at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre here last week or the week before, and he put a lot of blame on physicians. He was pretty hard on physicians, about lack of education with regard to prescribing, and more specifically the over-prescribing of opioids in Canada. As I see it, though, physicians can only do so much.
Dr. Emberley, you're aware that the U.S. FDA has now approved over seven abuse-deterrent, tamper-resistant opioid formulations of prescription opioids from four different manufacturers, while our current Canadian government has abandoned this regulatory pathway that was being pursued by the previous government. It was supported by our own provinces and territories and health ministers.
I was wondering, does the Canadian Pharmacists Association support the use of abuse-deterrent, tamper-resistant opioids as one tactic, part of a broader national opioid strategy? If so, why?
Second, would you support a regulatory move to convert the entire class of controlled-release or all opioids to the ADF or tamper-resistant formulations over a short transition period?