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A class action lawsuit has been filed against the province of British Columbia, along with its college of pharmacists and a drug company on behalf of those undergoing methadone treatment for drug use who say their medication was switched to Methadose, a less effective option.
Lead plaintiff, Laura Shaver, says that she and others undergoing treatment for heroin and opioid addictions were switched to the less effective medication as part of cost-cutting measures by the government. However, the medication, Methadose, is allegedly less effective at treating withdrawal symptoms, and those in treatment were not given any other choice.
“It felt like death,” Laura told Globe and Mail reporters. “I felt like I had no power. I didn’t know whose body I was in, whose mind was thinking. It had been so long since I felt any withdrawal symptoms that it was so scary. To me, withdrawal means death. I would rather be dead than go through withdrawal, in all seriousness.”
According to the Globe and Mail, regular methadone treatments keep withdrawal symptoms at bay for approximately a day. Methadose only works for between 12 and 16 hours, states the report citing studies that found use of the drug led to an increase in street drug use and related health and other problems.
“I hadn’t used heroin in four years or something,” Laura told the National Post. “Within six days I was a raging injection junkie again. The things I went through, the sweats, the shakes. I don’t even know where to start.”
Laura went on to tell reporters that, after her treatment was switched from methadone to Methadose, she turned to illegal drugs to deal with her withdrawal symptoms within a week. She says that, as a result of her relapse and continued treatment with Methadose, she overdosed eight times.
According to the National Post, the Health Ministry of B.C. made the switch to Methadose in 2014. Methadose is made by Mallinckrodt Canada, ULC, also a defendant in the Methadose class action lawsuit.
The Globe and Mail reports that the Health Ministry and colleges of pharmacists, physicians, and surgeons recommended Methadose because it doesn’t need to be mixed and refrigerated like regular methadone. Methadone is a white powder that is diluted using an orange flavoured juice, while Methadose is a cherry flavoured liquid. The groups contended Methadose was safer because it did not require users to mix the treatment on their own and would lead to more consistent results.
The complaint accuses the Health Ministry and college of pharmacists of failing to acknowledge the risks of the new, cheaper drug.
“They knew within months of this forced change that it wasn’t working, that it was causing instant problems,” Jason Gratl told Globe and News reporters. “There were catastrophic consequences of overdose and death, [and] an unbelievably extreme overdose epidemic with thousands of people dying.”
Compounding the problem was the lack of access to the original methadone treatment for addiction, says the complaint.
“The defendants knew or ought to have known that restricting patient access to compounded methadone and granting Mallinckrodt the right to distribute Methadose as the exclusive (therapy) medication in British Columbia could result in relapse and harms associated with relapse,” contends the proposed Methadose class action lawsuit.
In fact, last year the Health Ministry of B.C. reportedly made a change to its treatment programs, allowing patients to access another version of methadone in the event that Methadose was not effective. The Globe and Mail reports that this change came only after years of lobbying by advocacy groups. However, the lawyer representing the plaintiff and proposed Class Members says that the additional medication is not enough, and access to the original medication should be permitted for those in treatment programs.
“Numerous individuals and organizations have come forward to try to persuade the province and the college of pharmacists to restore access to compounded methadone,” Gratl told reporters.
Opioid and heroin addictions have ravaged the province, states the class action lawsuit, pointing out that B.C. has experienced 5,000 overdose deaths since 2013. The complaint argues that B.C.’s switch to the less effective Methadose treatment has been a cause of many more overdose deaths.
The proposed Methadose class action lawsuit seeks to represent those undergoing the reformulated methadone treatment in British Columbia arguing that those who relapsed on the program should be given compensation for the province’s failure to acknowledge the risks of the switch.
Were you or a loved one impacted by British Columbia’s switch to Methadose? Tell us your story in the comment section below!
The lead plaintiff and proposed Class Members are represented by Jason Gratl.
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9 thoughts onMethadose Class Action Lawsuit Filed Against B.C. After Medication Switch
This is proof that many Drs are misusing the methadone Programe to simply create lifelong addicts for the phama industry! There is absolutly NO qualification that would make methadone a substite for marijauna. Even if ur using pot for pain, the brain receptors are differnet. The intent of methadone is to give some pain relief while also blocking the ability to get high from double dosing or using other naracotics that are similar. I know people who where using crack, methamphetmine (smokable speed) etc, and yet put on methadone! increadible…the lies tlod about the Metadone mainteneince program will make you a life long prisoner. There is ZERO accountability betwen the Drs, the Collage of Pharmasists,the collage of Physician and helath Canada…they all pass the buck and take NO accounatbilty for the failures. Many have adverse reaction to the preservative in the methadose and NoN-compounded methadone…the suffering, hives, inabilty to swallow and eat, extreem dry mouth that is rottiing teeth and causing SEVER health probelms, the punding headaches, high blood preasure and rapid heart beat were NEVER xperienced with the Compounded Methadone..there are NO compuonding pharmacies in Ontario approved to sell, ship, distrubute etc methadone! The collage of Pharmas excuse? “well. if they wanted to get approval they could”…well, they dont. and so it effectively IMPOSSIBLE to retyrn to to what ahs worked succcfully for 25 yeqrs ….the other option? your local pharma y that Is approved to sell methadone on the Maintenanave program, must spend aboyt 30,000 dollars to make a compounding vente,ation system, safe room, be trained and have air quality etc checked for minute contamination….22 years and there has NEVER been any problme with a pharmacots mixing compounded methadon poweder….OR allow methadone PIlLs in Canada! They are not allowed , but are in the USA….no preservative would be required….This is about BIg PHARMA and healh Canada and Ontario KiLLING PEOPLE
Sister was medicated with methadone, switched to Methadose. Developed delusions and began living in a delusional world. 8 hospitals wrote in file medicated to intoxication, stroke, aneurysm possible schitzophrenia. No one would tell parents what was wrong.
Pharmacist sent fax sister missed 10 days of Methadone requesting the same dose.
Picked up night of December 28. She took METHADOSE, GIVEN FOUND
NECROTIC THE NEXT DAY.
DEAD AT AGE 41.
ALL DUE TO SLIP AND FALL.
Hi, I would like to be added to this class action. I had a dramatic reduction in potassium when I was switched to methadose from the orange version of it. I went into jaundice, was hospitalized for 2 weeks, and experienced some of the worst pain ive ever experienced.
Methadose patient for a number of years- it stripped my body of potassium and I died and was revived 15 times in 2019-
Wow! I had something VERY similar happen to me in 2019 as well; and upon discharge from the hospital (after going jaundice and turning yellow :x), I was told that they had no diagnosis or reason they could give me for why it had happened.
&wouldn’t ya know, t’was NON-OTHA then the night before methadosing, and all through the shack…
Not a creature was stirring, to even find crack….
lol
what LAURA SHAVER has said is 100% correct!I was on methadone for years starting way back in 2000 in ONTARIO.I use to have to travel to HAMILTON and TORONTO until my city got a clinic.I to was switched to METHADOSE and its nowhere even close to the original formula of METHADONE.I just recently got switched back to METHADONE.The differance is night and day and they KNOW that but because we are just “DRUG ADDICTS” they(GOVERNMENT) do not care! Personally I think unless youve walked a day in a recovering addicts shoes than you should NOT speak on these issues.Alls I wanted was to live pain free.I cant get a proper diagnosis for the cause of my pain because DOCTORS simply DO NOT want to give proper medications.I recently went for HOMONE therapy because my testosterone was extremely low,weeks after the shot I broke out in 2 AUTO IMMUNE diseases called PSORIASIS and PALMOPLANTER PUSTULOSIS! In my opinion theres the cause of my ORIGINAL PAIN! PSORIATIC ARTHRITIS! The pain often effects the patient before the skin lesions appear and DOCTORS wont diagnose that because then they would have to PRESCRIBE pain medication! Anyways Im hoping theres also a LAWSUIT in ONTARIO because what we HUMANS have to go through should be CRIMINAL! The judging and the stigmas are BRUTAL! Whats the differance between ONTARIO and BRITISH COLUMBIA,we are ALL CANADIAN.Why should WE be victimized because GOVERNMENT wants to save money?
I was prescribed Methadose through my clinic in Ontario from 2014 until 2018. They are now using Metadol-D for all methadone patients. Are there any class action suits in Ontario regarding Methadose?
I am being switched to methadone and am a chronic pain patient, I’ve never had failed screen or improper count. I express fear of being switched to this drug due to risk. However was not heard. Do I qualify?
I went to Province for assistance with Marijuana Costs…
they suggested I use Methadose instead of Marijuana…
and would be happy to help with that… but not the Prescribed Marijuana…
does this allow to join suit?