December 04, 2013 - 2:50 PM
OTTAWA - A grief-stricken mother has made an emotional plea to a parliamentary committee to tackle the problem of prescription drug abuse.
Ada Giuduce-Tompson, vice president of the Advocates for the Reform of Prescription Opioids, lost her 29-year-old son eight years ago after he was prescribed Percocet by his doctor.
During today's meeting health committee meeting, Giuduce-Tompson was especially critical of drug companies who market their products as safe, and of Health Canada for approving them.
She says her son could be anyone's son.
She also says she had no idea that a drug prescribed by a physician and approved by Health Canada could be as dangerous as heroin.
Giuduce-Tompson is urging Health Canada to insist on long-term clinical trials for opioids, and assailing drug companies for what she calls a history of misleading marketing on opioids in order to maximize sales.
News from © The Canadian Press, 2013