OxyContin generic approval proceeds in Canada

OTTAWA (AP) — Canada's federal government has allowed the approval process to proceed for the generic form of the highly addictive painkiller OxyContin, a move that set off a quick outcry from the country's provinces.

Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq rejected a plea Monday from Canada's provinces, which unanimously requested a delay of approval until regulators could examine how oxycodone is abused. Ontario asked for a complete ban on the drug, which has caused widespread addictions in Canada's rural and tribal communities.