\t\tRead: 3 min<\/p>\n
New research shows the number of Canadians taking prescription opioids is falling, even amidst ongoing shortages of common pain medications such as Tylenol 3 and Percocet.<\/p>\n
Some experts say the trend is indicative of doctors adopting more cautious prescribing practices.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is a deprescribing strategy that reduces harm,\u201d Jennifer Lake, a pharmacy professor at the University of Toronto, told Canadian Affairs in an email.<\/p>\n
But others warn that persistent prescription opioids shortages are still cause for concern.<\/p>\n
\u201cI do not believe a shortage of pain medications, or any medication for that matter, is a blessing in disguise,\u201d Jaris Swidrovich, an assistant professor of pharmacy at the University of Toronto, told Canadian Affairs in an email.<\/p>\n
A long-standing crisis<\/p>\n
Canada\u2019s opioid crisis can be traced back to the late 1990s, when overzealous prescribing<\/a> practices sowed the seeds for widespread addiction.\u00a0<\/p>\n As the highly addictive nature of prescription opioids became clear, doctors began to dramatically curtail their prescriptions \u2014 creating a supply vacuum that illicit suppliers rushed to fill.\u00a0<\/p>\n Black market opioids, particularly fentanyl, can be deadly, even in very small amounts. About 54,000 Canadians died from opioid overdoses in the past decade, and opioid overdoses continue to claim an average of 18 lives each day.<\/p>\n A new academic study suggests this crisis may be prompting doctors to even further curtail opioid prescriptions.\u00a0<\/p>\n The Oct. 27 study<\/a> in the Canadian Medical Association Journal found prescription opioid dispensing declined across six provinces \u2014 B.C., Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario and Quebec \u2014 between 2018 and 2022. <\/p>\n During this period, the number of new patients starting opioids dropped by nearly eight per cent, and the number of people already using them fell by just over 11 per cent.<\/p>\n The study notes that population-level data were not available for some regions of Canada, including the territories and Atlantic provinces, where prescribing patterns may differ.\u00a0<\/p>\n The declines in the six provinces, the study says, \u201caligned with national efforts to promote appropriate opioid prescribing for acute and chronic noncancer pain in Canada.\u201d<\/p>\n David Juurlink, an internist and head of clinical pharmacology and toxicology at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre in Toronto, said in a commentary<\/a> accompanying the study that opioids\u2019 perceived safety is \u201cwhere prescribers\u2019 collective blind spot yawns widest.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Juurlink says opioids have long been overused as the default treatment for pain. But they are really most effective in the first few days of treatment, at low doses, and when combined with other strategies.\u00a0<\/p>\n