N.B. Mi’kmaq seek apology for note advising natives not to request pain drugs

“They’re marginalizing one group of people when we are all suffering from addictions issues,” she said in an interview Friday.

“Addiction is one of the things that is not prejudiced at all, it doesn’t care who you are, so to single out one group of people … that’s racism. It’s not right,” she said.

“We definitely need an apology and there needs to be some cultural sensitivity into that office and more awareness of addiction and the reality that we’re all struggling with it.”

The registrar of the New Brunswick College of Physicians and Surgeons says Carter contacted him and told him he has taken down the sign.

Dr. Ed Schollenberg said Carter told him he had received letters from Health Canada’s Non-Insured Health Benefits Program — which funds medications provided to First Nations residents — notifying him of the need for precautions in his prescribing practices under the program.

“Physicians get notices from the prescription drug plan that handles native patients and they track prescribing to First Nations patients and if there’s concerns about doctors prescribing they send letters out … and say you have to be careful about this,” said Schollenberg.

The registrar said Carter received this notice some months ago and as a result the general notice was posted in his office.

However, Schollenberg said this still raises the question of whether the wording and placement of the notice was proper.

“There are two issues. One is, was the physician treating some patients differently than other patients for a discriminatory reason? That would be improper.”

“The second thing is … was it professional to have something like that viewable in the office?”

“At first blush, the approach is pretty questionable.”

Carter was not available for comment Friday.

— By Michael Tutton in Halifax.

The Canadian Press

by Canadian Press

N.B. Mi’kmaq seek apology for note advising natives not to request pain drugs

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