Patients and their doctors rely on insomnia treatments, including benzodiazepines and z-drugs, which carry risks such as falls, excessive daytime sedation, and dependency. Because of these risks, these treatments require careful monitoring, which takes time and resources from an already strained healthcare system. Patients also self-medicate with alcohol, cannabis, or over-the-counter sleep aids to get some respite from their insomnia.
We can – and must – do better for our patients, especially those covered by our public drug benefit plans.
A newer class of sleep medications, called dual orexin receptor antagonists (DORAs), are safe and effective for treating chronic insomnia with minimal risks. Countries like Japan, France, Germany and Italy publicly fund these drugs, but Canada’s provincial drug plans do not.
As physicians and researchers, we have observed the transformative benefits of these therapies when they are accessible. We’ve seen patients stuck in cycles of ineffective medications or risky self-medication get restorative sleep and return to work after switching to modern treatments.
An example of this is a First Nations woman who endured years of trauma and struggled with alcohol addiction. During her recovery, chronic insomnia repeatedly caused her to relapse. Many of the medications covered by her public drug plan – the Non-Insured Health Benefits (NIHB) program – were inappropriate because of their potential for addiction. In desperation, she often used over-the-counter sleeping pills, which only worsened her condition.
#Advice #Insomnia #deserves #modern #medicine