In the province of B.C., residents who receive income assistance through the Ministry of Social Development and Poverty Reduction (MHSD) have extended drug coverage, with 100% of costs covered for MMT (“Fair PharmaCare Plan - Province of British Columbia”, 2018). The eligibility criteria for income assistance qualification is determined by the MHSD through a complex calculation of basic income and needs. Individuals who don’t meet criteria for income assistance are required to pay for a percentage of methadone drugs costs based on income. We surmise that the positive association between not receiving income assistance and MMT discontinuation may reflect financial barriers to accessing MMT among those who do not access income assistance. However, opioid agonist therapies (including methadone, buprenorphine/naloxone, and slow-release oral morphine) were recently added to the provincial Psychiatric Medications Plan, allowing patients with an annual income less than $42,000 CAD to access these medications for free. This plan helps reduce financial barriers to accessing medications for opioid use disorder, thus better aligning with WHO recommendations that all eligible individuals be able to access MMT (World Health Organization, 2015).
