Quebec wants to prosecute around forty pharmaceutical companies for their contribution to the opioid crisis. Minister Lionel Carmant introduced a bill on Thursday that would allow his government to join a collection effort initiated by British Columbia in this direction.
Bill 36, “On Reimbursement of Health Care Costs and Harms Related to Opioids,” is based on a series of laws passed by Canadian provinces and territories in recent years.
Once passed, it will allow Quebec to participate in the class action initiated in 2018 by the Government of British Columbia to recover the amounts lost in the fight against the harmful effects of these products. The defendants include big names in the pharmaceutical industry such as Jean-Coutu, Johnson & Johnson and Purdue Pharma.
Quebec blames manufacturers, distributors and their advisers for mitigating the impact of opioids on the health of Quebecers over the years. “Medicines intended to treat acute and severe pain were used for common pains such as back pain,” Social Services Minister Lionel Carmant said at a press conference on Thursday.
By presenting this bill, he wants to “make the industry responsible for its actions” and “hold these companies accountable.” “This is a public health crisis. It destroys lives and I think it’s important that we act,” he said moments after introducing his legislation.
What profits?
The minister was unable to quantify Quebec’s potential damages gains on Thursday. “We can confidently talk about billions. Of how many? It will be decided later,” said Quebec Attorney General’s Director General of Litigation Frédéric Maheux, who accompanied Mr. Carmant on Thursday.
To date, only Quebec, Yukon and Nunavut had not joined the British-Colombian class action lawsuit against the opioid industry. Civil law requires it to introduce a bill to participate in a class action as a province.
Hundreds of victims
The National Institute of Public Health of Quebec recorded more than 500 deaths in 2022 related to “suspected intoxication with opioids or other drugs.” More than 200 were registered in the first six months of 2023.
“There is no doubt that this crisis has now arrived,” Minister Carmant said on Thursday. “We are talking about hundreds of deaths, hospitalizations and emergency room visits that have placed and continue to place a real strain on our network. »
When asked on Thursday about the possibility of decriminalizing simple drug possession, a solution to the crisis recommended by Montreal Public Health in particular, Mr. Carmant closed the door again. “We are not there yet within the government,” he said.