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Alberta physicians will soon have to check the medical histories of their patients before prescribing opioids, benzodiazepines, stimulants and sedatives.
The measure is part of a new mandatory rule passed Friday by the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Alberta.
“The new standard means there are more checks and balance in place for drugs that are subject to misuse and abuse,” said Kelly Eby, the college’s director of communications and government relations.
Read more at CBC News
The overall number of prescriptions for opioids has increased over the last five years, but doctors have been giving patients fewer doses at one time, a report by the Canadian Institute for Health Information has found.
The report, released Wednesday, shows the number of opioid prescriptions rose by almost seven per cent between 2012 and 2016, while daily doses on average dropped by five per cent — to 226 million from 238 million.
Last year, 21.5 million prescriptions for the potent painkillers were dispensed, up from 20.2 million prescriptions in 2012, CIHI reported. Most were for chronic non-cancer pain relief.
Read more at CTV News
A staggering number of people with mental health conditions are prescribed opioids, according to a new study.
Researchers from Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center and the University of Michigan found that 51 percent of painkiller prescriptions are distributed to those who have also been diagnosed with depression and anxiety.