DRUG TRACKING NEEDED: STUDY

Experts Call For Prescription Database

Abuse of prescription drugs is a problem across Canada and a
nationwide monitoring system of the drugs is needed, a new study
suggests. Opiate-based drugs for pain relief, sedatives and
amphetamines are a popular means to get high. A pill can be crushed
and snorted, or mixed with a solvent and injected, producing the same
effect as drugs like heroin.

It's not something new, but is highlighted as one of six key issues by the
Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse (CCSA) in its 45-page report released
this week called Substance Abuse in Canada: Current Challenges and Choices.

Other areas examined in the report are new directions in alcohol
policy, harm reduction, drugs and driving, availability and use of
evidence-based treatment and alternative sanctions for cannabis use
and possession.

Although it's widely accepted that abuse of prescription drugs is a
problem, John Weekes, senior research analyst for CCSA, said the
extent is unknown.

"Our suspicion is yes, it's a problem and may be a serious one, but
unfortunately the statistics are lacking in Canada," Weekes said.

He pointed to the U.S. and Australia as examples of countries that
have national household surveys on prescription drug abuse. The U.S.
also has the Drug Abuse Warning Network (DAWN), providing an ongoing
sense of what types of prescription drugs are abused.

These are initiatives Weekes would like to see practised in Canada.
Currently, indirect information, such as the number of admissions to
treatment, emergency room admissions and coroner reports, is the only
means to determine how widespread abuse of prescription drugs is.

NO NATIONAL PROGRAM

With cases of "doctor shopping" -- where a person gets multiple
prescriptions from different doctors -- a national database to track
prescriptions is essential, Weekes said. While five provinces have
implemented prescription tracking programs, Ontario is not one of them.

Another area that needs heavy monitoring is the production,
distribution and administrative chain of drugs. With high mark-ups on
the street price, economic incentives are appealing.