Health Canada , provinces commit to action
Health Canada , provinces commit to action
“ The response to this crisis needs to be comprehensive , collaborative , compassionate and evidence-based ”
continued from page 24 ...
consequences for individuals , families , and communities . The response to this crisis needs to be comprehensive , collaborative , compassionate and evidence-based ,” stated Drs . Philpott and Hoskins , in the action plan . This Joint Statement of Action , they stated , reflects a combined commitment to act on this crisis . The action plan outlines several areas where
Ottawa and the provinces plan to collaborate , including gathering pan-Canadian figures on the number of emergency department visits and deaths due to opioid overdoses , and making harmreduction measures , such as the addiction-treatment drug Suboxone , more widely available . As part of the plan , several provinces committed to improve their monitoring of prescription drugs . Some of the other items in Ontario ’ s contribution to the Joint Action plan include :
Designating Ontario ’ s Chief Medical Officer of Health as Ontario ’ s first-ever Provincial Overdose Coordinator .
Developing evidence-based quality standards for health-care providers on appropriate opioid prescribing .
Developing new , evidence-based training modules and academic programs that will provide modernized training to all healthcare providers who prescribe or dispense opioids .
Improving access to important medication information , including a patient guide , for all patients prescribed opioids to help them better understand the associated risks .
Launching a new overdose surveillance and reporting system to support Ontario ’ s Provincial Overdose Coordinator .
Delisting from the Ontario Drug Benefit Formulary high-strength formulations of long-acting opioids .
Investing $ 17 million annually in multi-disciplinary care teams , including 17 chronic pain clinics across Ontario , to ensure that patients receive timely and appropriate care to help them manage chronic pain .
Expanding access and availability of healthcare services for more Ontarians who suffer from low back pain .
Expanding training and support to primary care providers , including in rural and remote communities , to enable them to safely and effectively treat chronic pain .
Improving addiction supports and harm reduction , such as enhancing integration of comprehensive primary care , mental health and Suboxone / methadone treatment to better support patients with opioid addiction . MD
26
Dialogue Issue 4 , 2016