Suboxone, a replacement therapy drug used in treating opioid addictions, is now covered by Manitoba Health under Pharmacare.

The announcement was made yesterday at the Addiction Foundation of Manitoba's River Point Centre.

AFM Doctor Ginette Poulin says suboxone distinguishes itself from other opioid treatment medications like methadone. She says its unique set of properties give it a safer profile that can have significant improved impact for patients.

"These include but are not limited to: a reduction in side effects, reduced interactions with other medications, reduced toxicity, lower risks of respiratory failure and overdose comparatively to other opiates, and built in naloxone, which is the antidote or reversal medication for opiates -- and that only becomes activated if someone were to inject opiates," says Dr. Poulin.

She also says suboxone is also less likely to be diverted and sold to other people, compared to methadone.

Like methadone, suboxone relieves withdrawal symptoms and helps with cravings. Up until the announcement, suboxone could be covered under Pharmacare only if a prescribing doctor applied for special permission, and under a strict set of circumstances.

Health minister Kelvin Goertzen calls it only one step, but an important one.

"I wish that there were easy solutions to addictions. We know that there are many complexities, there are many ways that people lead themselves to addiction, there are many ways that fatalities happen through addiction. There's no easy one solution, if there was, province's across Canada would've already taken action that way," says Goertzen.

Goertzen spoke at the announcement about how his family has been affected by addiction; he said his father died from his addiction.

Part of the challenge in getting suboxone covered, says Goertzen, is there weren't many physicians and other medical professionals trained to prescribe the drug; it takes a six to eight hour training course to be able to do so. Dr. Poulin says there is ongoing training for physicians, nurses, and pharmacists in this domain. She says currently there are just over 40 physicians trained in methadone and suboxone, providing those services, as well as a few others trained who aren't set up in a community.

Now that suboxone is covered, Goertzen says the costs annually may be in the neighbourhood of $150,000.

AFM CEO Ben Fry says though this does come with a cost to Pharmacare, the long-term benefits far outweigh the initial costs. He calls it an investment worth making. Goertzen also says he thinks "the costs will be greatly outweighed by the benefit."