Methadone kickbacks could lead to criminal investigation

A CBC investigation that uncovered kickbacks paid to addicts could lead to a criminal investigation and changes in the way methadone is dispensed on Vancouver's Downtown Eastside, according to B.C.'s health minister.

George Abbott said he first learned of theallegations in January when a doctor reported that some pharmacies were paying addicts to fill their daily methadone doses.

The Health Ministrybegan investigating the allegations, but Abbott says hidden-camera footage of the payouts captured by the CBC has raised more concerns at the ministry.

"It may be a matter of not just the methadone addendum agreement being breached in terms of incentives to individuals, but there is also some issues that have been raised that may be of a criminal nature," said Abbott on Wednesday.

Abbott said the ministry is investigating with an eye to ensure the evidence it gathers can stand up in court.

"On one side of the ledger, we need to deal with the program and how it can be done better, and then we need to deal with the individual actions of pharmacists in the Downtown Eastside as well," said Abbott.

Attorney General Wally Oppal echoed that sentiment, but said he won't jump to conclusions while the health ministerinvestigates.

"Absolutely. There is enough concern has been raised by virtue of the investigation, your investigation, that warrants further investigation," Oppal toldCBC News on Wednesday.

"If [kickbacks are being paid], then clearly that's something that no civilized society would accept," said Oppal.

The College of Pharmacists of British Columbia has refused previous requests by CBC News for an interview on theissueof cash payments for methadone prescriptions, other than to say an investigation on related complaints is underway.

Ministry acting too slowly, says NDP

NDP health critic Adrian Dix sayskickbacks would be a breach of the pharmacists' contract with the government, and the Health Ministry should have acted sooner.

"The fact of the matter is the doctors who made the complaint haven't been contacted. It's eight months later. Dispensing fees certainly in the tens of thousands have been charged in the interim,"Dix said Wednesday.

Downtown Eastside doctors who first complained to the province last January about the kickbacks had suspected the money was often immediately used by addicts to buy rocks of crack cocaine, essentially trading one addiction for another andundermining the methadone program.

Prescriptions altered, alleges doctor

Dr. Helen Weiss of the Vancouver Native Health Clinic alleges there is now another problem: even though she writes "Do not daily dispense" on prescriptions, she alleges some pharmacies change the order so they can collect a fee of more than $15 every day, rather than just every week.

Shehas filed a complaint with the college of pharmacists, but she said there's a simple solution: end the daily fees paid to pharmacies for daily dispensing of methadone.

"If there wasn't a daily dispensing fee, all this would stop," Weiss told CBC News on Wednesday.