Tory ban on heroin for addicts in study breaches international ethics

OTTAWA — The government breached international ethical standards when it made a policy change that will cut access to heroin for addicts who were receiving it as part of a clinical trial, the Canadian Medical Association Journal (CMAJ) says.

The Study to Assess Longer-term Opioid Medication Effectiveness (SALOME) provides participants with versions of heroin based on the theory that continued use in small amounts reduces addicts' illegal use of the drug and makes them more likely to stay in treatment programs.

SALOME involves 200 patients, and receives $7.4 million from the B.C. government.

Health Minister Rona Ambrose's decision in October to remove heroin from the Special Access Program (SAP) means the addicts will be unable to continue their treatment after the study, which violates the World Medical Association's Declaration of Helsinki, the CMAJ's Dr. John Fletcher wrote in Monday's article.

"Whatever we may think of our government's prerogative to set policy and take a lead, its action broke an ethical obligation of two of its own federal bodies," the editorial read. "Having funded this study and approved post-trial access to treatment, the government should see this through."

Ambrose rejected those claims Monday, telling QMI Agency that the SAP was "not intended as a way to give illicit drugs to addicts."

"Our government closed loopholes that allow for the feeding of addiction under the guise of treatment," Ambrose said. "To keep dangerous drugs like heroin out of Canadian communities our government has taken action to protect the integrity of the SAP and close this loophole."

Original Article
Source: ottawasun.com/
Author: Jessica Hume