NEW BRUNSWICK LEADS ATLANTIC CANADA FOR OXYCODONE USE

ST. JOHN'S -- Although it was Newfoundland and Nova Scotia that first
raised alarms about the abuse of so-called "hillbilly heroin" in Atlantic
Canada, it is New Brunswick that accounts for most of the prescriptions for
the highly addictive painkiller oxycodone, a new Health Canada report says.

During the first six months of 2005, more than 92,500 prescriptions were
filled for oxycodone-based painkillers such as OxyContin at 651 retail
pharmacies throughout the Atlantic provinces.

New Brunswick generated 44 per cent of those transactions and had the
highest number of practitioners prescribing oxycodone -- 133 for every
100,000 residents.

"It's interesting," said Enid Harrison, spokeswoman for the Ottawa-based
Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse. "They weren't identifying it as a
problem in their province, specifically."

Prince Edward Island accounted for only 9 per cent of prescriptions, but
the region's least-populous province had the second-highest number of
prescribers per capita, with 128 for every 100,000 residents.

And prescribers in PEI also had the highest volume of transactions,
averaging 46 each. New Brunswick prescribers averaged 41 each.

Newfoundland and Labrador and Nova Scotia, where the issue made headlines
after several deaths were blamed on oxycodone abuse, accounted for 21 per
cent and 27 per cent of the transactions, respectively.

Newfoundland had 114 prescribers for every 100,000 residents; Nova Scotia
had the least of all four Atlantic provinces, with 111. Nova Scotia also
had the lowest average number of transactions for each prescriber, at 24.

But Ms. Harrison and Health Canada warned that the study offers only
baseline data, making it difficult to draw conclusions. "Even if we knew
across the country how many prescriptions are being doled out, it doesn't
tell us how many are being used inappropriately," Ms. Harrison said.

The Health Canada report points out that the results don't take into
account provincial health profiles, demographics or variances in pain
management protocol or products.

"Readers who wish to interpret, extrapolate or benchmark the report's
findings should exercise caution," it says.

"The outcome of this review of sales transactions cannot be used on its own
to determine definitive actions. Its purpose was to provide stakeholders
with factual information to contribute to their efforts."

Information on oxycodone prescriptions is not readily available from other
regions for comparison.

"This is the first [such report] we've done at Health Canada," said Carolyn
Sexauer, spokeswoman for the department.

She said it was prepared in response to requests from task forces in
Newfoundland and Nova Scotia. The department has other initiatives under
way, including a guide for health professionals, she added.

Ms. Harrison lauded the Health Canada report for providing a baseline for
Atlantic Canada, but noted that there is no consistent monitoring program
across the country.

"We're looking for it to actually go beyond that to a much more
sophisticated model for monitoring the use of pharmaceutical drugs."