
Reducing Opioid Use for Pain Management
Data collection and use to prevent opioid dependence.
Project Overview
The Problem
Opioids are recognized as an effective tool for managing pain.
However, they can also be addictive, resulting in widespread abuse in recent years and culminating in national health crises in Canada and the U.S.
In addition, some patients don’t respond well to opioids after surgery. Adverse symptoms include lethargy, slow and laboured breathing, as well as delirium. In some cases, pain can worsen when patients are prescribed higher dosages.
At least 6 per cent of surgery patients who are prescribed opioids become persistent opioid users. Unfortunately, physicians do not have the information they need to minimize this risk at the time of prescribing medication, nor do they receive follow-up data to reduce the rates of addiction.