Methadone substitute urged in Manitoba

WINNIPEG, Manitoba, Dec. 27 (UPI) -- Addiction experts say the Manitoba government should pay for a medication that could help people hooked on narcotics such as OxyContin curb their drug abuse.

The director of the province's Health Sciences Center's addiction unit said the medication, Suboxone, is a far better option than methadone to treat addiction in teens and young adults, with fewer side-effects, and there's a lower risk of overdose and accidental death if doses are diverted, the Winnipeg Free Press reported Monday.

Similar to methadone, Suboxone is a synthetic opiate that is taken daily to reduce cravings and curb symptoms of withdrawal.

Methadone comes in a liquid form, and addicts begin on a low dose that is increased over several months until cravings subside.

Some methadone patients sell their doses illegally, and a small amount can be lethal to someone who has never taken it before, experts say.

Suboxone is a pill taken orally, and the average addict reaches his or her optimal dose within two to three weeks.

The addiction center's director, Dr. Lindy Lee, said she would like to use Suboxone as the first drug of choice for some of her patients, but it is more expensive than methadone and is not covered by provincial healthcare.

"I think it's a far better option," Lee said of Suboxone. "They don't run the same risk of death, and if they divert it (for sale), it's not risky for the public."