Province says it’s first in Canada to fully cover eligible medications such as methadone, Suboxone
British Columbia says it’s the first province in Canada to provide universal coverage for eligible medications used for the treatment of opioid-use disorder.
On Thursday the province announced that as of June 6, opioid agonist treatment (OAT), which uses medications such as methadone or Suboxone to manage opioid withdrawal symptoms and help people work toward recovery, will be universally covered for any B.C. resident with an active medical services plan (MSP).
“By reducing financial barriers to opioid agonist treatment medication, we’re making it easier for people to get the care they need and helping create more equitable health outcomes for people in B.C,” said Minister of Health Adrian Dix in a release.
The province said during the 2021-22 fiscal year 32,882 people received coverage of OAT treatment medications through PharmaCare, B.C.’s publicly funded program that helps residents pay for some prescription drugs. A further 1,638 patients paid out of pocket for the medications.
Under the new rules, those patients will now be 100 per cent covered for OAT medication costs under another provincial coverage plan called Plan Z.
“Removing these cost barriers to medication-assisted treatment will help more people stabilize their lives, prevent deaths and stay on their journey to wellness,” said Minister of Mental Health and Addictions Jennifer Whiteside.
The province said the change will remove barriers, such as registering for other coverage plans, or getting tax information to register for PharmaCare, for residents with MSP coverage wanting to access OAT medications.
