Dialogue Volume 13 Issue 1 2017 | Page 24

In 2014 / 15 , 1.96 million Ontarians were dispensed an opioid , accounting for a total
of 9 million dispense events . Fifty-six percent of opioid recipients had a single dispense event in the fiscal year .
Opioid sub-category
Dispense events
Recipients
Prescribers
Oxycodone and oxycodone compounds
2,602,923
521,478
29,006
Codeine and codeine compounds
2,387,957
944,048
35,545
Hydromorphone
1,744,326
229,122
23,106
Nearly 42,000 Ontarians received Methadone Maintenance Treatment , and 11,000 were dispensed Suboxone and generics . Males under 45 years accounted for 45 % of all recipients of MMT , and 46 % of all recipients of Suboxone and generics .
Morphine 642,941 99,961 17,166
Fentanyl patches
363,422
32,182
10,318
Fentanyl tablets
890
213
137
Oxycodone-naloxone compounds
12,969
1,989
1,070
Meperidine
28,210
8,047
3,929
Buprenorphine
37,486
7,391
2,671
Tapentadol
42,455
8,206
2,232
Methadone for pain
46,127
2,846
604
Tramadol
467,363
173,952
17,722
Other
584,860
391,176
16,127
Total
8,961,929
1,956,004
43,572
Number of opioid recipients , by sex and age group , fiscal year 2014 / 15
# of recipients
0
200,000
400,000
600,000
800,000
1,000,000

55 % of opioid recipients were female , nearly 40 % were between the ages of 45 and 64 , and 41 % had coverage under the Ontario Drug Benefit program .

1.08M
0-18 19-44 45-64 65 +
0-18 19-44 45-64 65 +
0.88M

64 % of opioid recipients had at least one chronic condition , with cancer , mental health issues and osteoarthritis among the top diagnoses .

% of total opioid dispenses

29 %

Oxycodone and oxycodone compounds

27 %

Codeine and codeine compounds

20 %

Hydromorphone

7 %

Morphine

4 %

Fentanyl patches
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Dialogue Issue 1 , 2017