The opioid crisis has gained momentum in 2010 and reached the highest number of prescriptions for these painkillers in 2016. It is now finally starting to be managed a little better.
Opioids are medications that help relieve pain, but can be addictive if used on the long-term. In 2016, in Quebec, there were nearly 380 000 prescriptions of opioids according to the Régime d’assurance maladie du Québec (RAMQ). Our members, Dr. Anne Marie Pinard, anesthesiologist practicing in a pain clinic (Université Laval), Prof Anaïs Lacasse, epidemiologist at the Université du Québec en Abitibi-Témiscamingue and community pharmacist Philippe de Grandpré comment on this issue in Actual News Magazine. It’s important to note that although physicians are now more aware of the dangers around the opiod crisis and the adverse effects that these drugs can cause, there are not enough tools and resources to guide clinicians in prescribing opioids to their patients. This is why the Quebec Pain Society, chaired by Philippe de Grandpré, has a mandate to support the training of interdisciplinary care teams on the first-line of treatment, promote continuing education and share the latest knowledge in pain training and management, including opioid prescription practices.
