2 Saskatchewan doctors disciplined for handling of opioid prescriptions

Two doctors who worked in Moose Jaw, Sask., have received one-month suspensions for their handling of prescription drugs.

The SaskatchewanCollege of Physicians and Surgeons wasmonitoring the doctors under its prescription review program, which allows the collegeaccess to all provincial prescriptionrecordswritten for patients for drugs of possible abuse.

Dr. LeonJansenVanRensburgand Dr. Pierre Hugo have been ordered to take a medical record keeping course and prescribing course and pay$3,000 to cover costs related to the investigation.

Thedisciplinehearing was held in Saskatoon last month.The doctors admitted that they engaged in unprofessional conduct.

The college said the doctorsfailed to meet the standards of prescribing prescription review medications.

In addition, the doctors prescribed medications to patients who were receiving methadone treatment foropioiddependency.

It also found both doctors prescribed medications for patients' who had urine tests show they were not taking their medication and those tests showed marijuana and cocaine in their system.

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More education needed

"It's an issue of very considerable concern," Bryan Salte, the college's associate registar, said of overprescribing opioids.

Salte said best practices around prescribing quantityand length of time for patients to takeopioidsis relatively new, withguidelines in Canada and the U.S. coming outin the last few years.

"There really has been a lack of education for physicians in what are the risks ofopioidprescribing what quantities ought to be prescribed," Saltesaid.

In this case, Salte saideducation was not enough, so it moved to the discipline stage.

"Our college is responsible for taking action if this prescribing has not been appropriate."

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Later this month, the college is hosting an opioidsubstitution therapy conference in Saskatoon.

Salte said the college will launch an opioid prescribing program in the fall of 2017.

As for the doctors, Hugo still holds his medical licence and is practicing in Moose Jaw.

Jansen Van Rensburg's licence has been revoked.

The lawyer for both doctors declined comment. CBC reached out to Hugo for comment. It was unable to reach Jansen Van Rensburg.