Opioid agonist therapy supports are available through the GPSC and Pharmacare to address pain management and opioid prescribing. These include:

GPSC fee code G14074 (GP Unattached Complex/High Needs Patient Attachment Fee)
This fee compensates for the time, intensity, and complexity of integrating a new patient with high needs, including mental health and substance use patients, into a family physician’s practice. For more information, please refer to the GPSC’s attachment billing guide.[1]

GPSC fee code G14043 (GP Mental Health Planning Fee)
This fee is payable upon the development and documentation of a patient’s mental health plan for patient residents in the community. Patients must have a confirmed Axis I diagnosis of sufficient severity and acuity to warrant the development of a management plan, and both Alcohol Dependency (303) and Substance Abuse (non-nicotine) (304) qualify as Axis I diagnoses. If this fee is billed for a patient with either alcohol or substance abuse issues, all other criteria of the fee must be met. For more information, please refer to the GPSC’s mental health billing guide.[2]

Pharmacare coverage
Effective 1 February 2017, Pharmacare will cover Methadose for maintenance and buprenorphine/naloxone under its Psychiatric Medications Plan (Plan G). By covering these drugs under Plan G, 100% Pharmacare coverage may be available to more individuals with lower incomes. For more information, please refer to:
•    Coverage of Methadose and Bupre-norphine/Naloxone under Plan G[3]
•    Pharmacare Newsletter[4]

As well, doctors can access available supports created by local divisions and the GPSC that are summarized at www.divisionsbc.ca/provincial/painmanagement [9].

These resources help doctors to manage substance use issues in their own communities, and to comply with opioid prescribing standards[5] announced by the College of Physician and Surgeons of BC in 2016.

References

1.     GPSC. Billing guide – attachment. 2017. Accessed 6 April 2017. www.gpscbc.ca/sites/default/files/uploads/GPSC Billing Guide - Attachment 20170206.pdf [10].
2.     GPSC. Billing guide – mental health. 2016. Accessed 6 April 2017. www.gpscbc.ca/sites/default/files/uploads/GPSC Billing Guide - Mental Health 20160518.pdf [11].
3.     Government of BC. Coverage of Methadose and buprenorphine/naloxone under plan G. Accessed 6 April 2017. www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/health/health-drug-coverage/pharmacare-for-bc-residents/what-we-cover/drug-coverage/coverage-of-methadose-and-buprenorphine-naloxone-under-plan-g [12].
4.     Government of BC. BC Pharmacare newsletter, January 18 2017, Edition 17-001. Accessed 6 April 2017. www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/health/health-drug-coverage/pharmacare/newsletters/news17-001.pdf [13].
5.     College of Physicians and Surgeons of BC. Safe prescribing of drugs with potential for misuse/diversion. Accessed 6 April 2017. www.cpsbc.ca/files/pdf/PSG-Safe-Prescribing.pdf [14].