Content
Evidence Base
Resources that provide research evidence and data related to opioids and the extent of and response to the crisis.
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Resources | Description | Organization |
|---|---|---|
| Lives Lost to Opioid Toxicity among Ontarians Who Worked in the Construction Industry | Infographic about the impact of drug toxicity and the opioid crisis on construction workers. | Ontario Drug Policy Research Network |
| Changes in drug prescribing to seniors in Canada | Summary of findings from a report about the drugs most commonly prescribed to seniors in Canada, including those living in long-term care facilities. | Canadian Institute for Health Information |
| Closing Gaps, Reducing Barriers: Expanding the Response to the Toxic Drug and Overdose Crisis | Report by the Select Standing Committee on Health in British Columbia that examines and makes recommendations about the urgent and ongoing illicit drug toxicity and overdose crisis. | Legislative Assembly of British Columbia |
| Simcoe Muskoka Opioid Strategy: A Report on Actions 2018-2021 | Report on the implementation of the Simcoe Muskoka Pillar Actions (2018-2021). Includes data on the opioid-related harms. This report provides a status update on the activities and data on opioid related harms. | Simcoe Muskoka Opioid Strategy Steering Committee |
| Experiences of Harm Reduction Service Providers During Dual Public Health Emergencies in Canada | Report highlights the experiences of harm reduction workers during the overdose emergency and COVID-19 pandemic, and the impact on those providing services. | Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction |
| Joint Statement from the Co-Chairs of the Special Advisory Committee on the Epidemic of Opioid Overdoses – Latest National Data on Substance-Related Harms | Government of Canada statement on surveillance data about opioid- and stimulant-related harms from January 2016 to December 2021 and projections to December 2022. Statement includes links to information about related topics, including naloxone and stigma. | Public Health Agency of Canada |
| Experiences of Harm Reduction Service Providers During Dual Public Health Emergencies in Canada | Report highlights the experiences of harm reduction workers during the overdose emergency and COVID-19 pandemic, and the impact on those providing services. | Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction |
| Clinical outcomes and health care costs among people entering a safer opioid supply program in Ontario | Webpage with links to infographic and research article evaluating the impact of Canada’s first safer opioid supply program on health service use and costs. | Ontario Drug Policy Research Network |
| Interactive map: Canada's response to the opioid crisis | Map of opioid prevention, harm reduction, treatment and enforcement in communities across Canada. | Health Canada |
| Substance use surveillance data: Reporting the prescribing patterns, use/misuse, drug overdoses and deaths related to fentanyl and opioids in Alberta | Substance use data to help the government better understand the addiction challenges in Alberta and make informed, strategic decisions about how best to create a recovery-oriented system of care that supports individuals experiencing addiction. | Government of Alberta |
| Toronto Overdose Action Plan: Status Report 2021 | Status report on actions taken to implement the Toronto Overdose Action Plan with recommendations for actions to mitigate the harms from drugs that are worsening during the COVID-19 pandemic. | City of Toronto |
| Modelling opioid-related deaths during the COVID-19 outbreak | Report on simulation model of opioid-related deaths that provided information on the number of these deaths that might occur during the COVID-19 outbreak in 2020 through to June 2022. | Public Health Agency of Canada |
| Overdose Response Indicator Report | Provincial surveillance report providing current data on key overdose-related indicators. | BC Centre for Disease Control |
| Renewed Focus: A Follow-up Report on Youth Opioid use in Alberta | Follow up and progress assessment of the recommendations made in the 2018 report that brought attention to the need for a youth-specific response to the opioid crisis | Office of the Child and Youth Advocate Alberta |
| Patterns of Medication and Healthcare Use among People who Died of an Opioid-Related Toxicity during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Ontario | Describes patterns of medication and healthcare use among people who died of an opioid-related toxicity in Ontario during the COVID-19 pandemic, including a discussion of the characteristics and patterns of healthcare use among people who were experiencing homelessness. | Ontario Drug Policy Research Network |
| The Opioid Crisis in Canada | Introduction to selected health aspects of the opioid crisis in Canada, including key statistics, considerations related to the impact of the crisis on different groups of people, and information about recent federal initiatives and activities in the Parliament of Canada intended to address the crisis. | Library of Parliament |
| Safer Opioid Supply Program: Preliminary Report | Evaluation of a program using a harm reduction approach to reduce health risks associated with substance use, and examine potential for scaling the program up. | London InterCommunity Health Program |
| Toronto Shelter-Hotel Overdose Preparedness Assessment Project | Evaluation of the Toronto Shelter-Hotel Overdose Preparedness Assessment Project with recommendations for future projects. | Toronto Shelter-Hotel Overdose Action Task Force |
| “They treat you with such disdain:” Experiences of overdose among people who inject drugs | Captures and explores the experience of overdose of people who live in Ontario, including what happened, where, and how others responded to help. Includes suggestions for improvement. | MAP Centre for Urban Health Solutions |
| Early Findings from Safer Supply Pilot Projects | Summary of evaluation of Canada's safer supply pilot projects with lessons learned related to design and implementation. | Health Canada |
| Assessment of the Implementation of Safer Supply Pilot Projects | Qualitative evaluation of Canada's safer supply pilot projects with lessons learned related to design and implementation. | Controlled Substances and Cannabis Branch, Health Canada |
| Report of an Evaluation of Manitoba Harm Reduction Network Services in the Context of the COVID-19 Pandemic | Discusses the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on harm reduction services in Manitoba and identifies best practices for harm reduction providers. | National Collaborating Centre for Infectious Diseases |
| Smoking Opioids | Data from the BC Harm Reduction Client Survey on administration of opioids via smoking. | BC Centre for Disease Control |
| Alberta opioid response surveillance report | Surveillance report presenting emergency department, prescription and mortality data associated with fentanyl, other opioids and other substances in Alberta. | Government of Alberta |
| Opioid Related Harms in New Brunswick | Quarterly surveillance reports describing data on apparent opioid overdoses and deaths in New Brunswick, along with data on the take-home naloxone kit distribution and use. | Office of the Chief Medical Officer of Health of New Brunswick |
| Rapid Review Update 1: What is the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on opioid and substance use and related harms? | Rapid review that seeks to identify, appraise and summarize emerging research evidence to support evidence-informed decision making. | National Collaborating Center on Methods and Tools |
| Opioid Mortality Trends in Ontario in the Context of COVID-19 Pandemic | Webinar and slides presenting key data. | Office of the Chief Coroner for Ontario |
| Vancouver Island Drug Checking Project | Report of recent findings from drug checking services on Vancouver Island. | University of Victoria |
| Rapid Review Update 1: What is the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on opioid and substance use and related harms? | A rapid review supporting public health decision makers’ response to the COVID-19 pandemic in the context of the opioid crisis. | National Collaborating Centre for Methods and Tools |
| Drug Toxicity Deaths | Statistics for all Saskatchewan deaths where the cause of death was due to a drug toxicity. | Saskatchewan Coroners Service |
| Opioid Poisoning Crisis in Toronto – Update | Staff report providing an update on the opioid poisoning crisis and identifying key actions needed urgently to help address the crisis. | City of Toronto |
| Chief Medical Health Officer’s Report 2019 | Findings from medical charts about the personal, social and medical circumstances of a sample of young adults, women and South Asian men who died from illicit drug toxicity in Fraser Health. | Fraser Health |
| Estimating the size of the fentanyl market in British Columbia | Research report estimating the size of the market for fentanyl in British Columbia by calculating what people who use drugs spend on fentanyl or fentanyl-contaminated opioids or stimulants. | Cullen Commission of British Columbia on Money Laundering |
| Interprofessional Education Guidelines on Opioid Use and Opioid Use Disorder | Interprofessional education guidelines on opioid use and opioid use disorder. | Association of Faculties of Pharmacy of Canada, Canadian Association of Schools of Nursing, Canadian Association for Social Work Education |
| Drug Checking in British Columbia | Infographic reporting the results of recent testing. | British Columbia Centre on Substance Use |
| Décès reliés à une intoxication suspectée aux opioïdes ou autres drogues au Québec | Data about presumed non-intentional opioid and other drug-related deaths in Quebec. (in French only) | Institut national de santé publique du Québec |
| Indicateurs d’intoxications suspectées aux opioïdes ou autres drogues au Québec : situation en date de juin 2020 | An examination of non-fatal consequences of opioid use for a comprehensive picture of opioid use in Quebec. Provides data on use of healthcare services related to possible opioid intoxication. (in French only) | Institut national de santé publique du Québec |
| Guide québécois d’amélioration des pratiques sur la prise en charge du trouble lié à l’utilisation des opioïdes (TUO) | 10 suggestions to improve practices related to the management of people who use opioids, more specifically practices on OUD-related treatment in Quebec (in French only) | Institut universitaire sur les dépendances |
| Working together to better understand, prevent, and manage chronic pain: What We Heard | Report on consultations to identify best practices and to gather suggestions for the development of effective strategies to better understand, prevent and manage pain. | Canadian Pain Task Force |
| Opioids and Our Children | Activities, resources and recommendations to inform effective and safe use and prescribing of opioids for acute pain in infants, children and youth. | Solutions for Kids in Pain and Canadian Foundation for Healthcare Improvement |
| Opioid Emergency Department Visits | Statistics on opioid poisoning emergency department visits at hospitals in Simcoe Muskoka. | Simcoe Muskoka |
| Brant/Brantford Opioid Information System | Timely opioid-related information to the public, community partners, and individuals who use substances. | Brant County Health Unit |
| Overdose data for Waterloo Region | Local and timely information about opioid use and poisonings in the region. | Waterloo Region |
| Opioid Reporting | A monthly snapshot of opioid activity in Halton Region. | Halton Region |
| Drug Toxicity Deaths: Saskatchewan, 2010 to 2020 | Saskatchewan statistics on drug toxicity deaths, 2010–2020. | Saskatchewan Coroners Service |
| Preliminary Patterns in Circumstances Surrounding Opioid-Related Deaths in Ontario during the COVID-19 Pandemic | Statistics about the circumstances that contributed to opioid-related deaths to inform preventive interventions and policies. | Public Health Ontario |
| Fentanyl-Detected Illicit Drug Toxicity Deaths, January 1, 2012 to September 30, 2020 | Summary of deaths for which fentanyl or its analogues were detected. | BC Coroners Service |
| 2019 Opioids Overdoses: Impacts and Strategies | Outlines the progress made and the challenges witnessed by the OPP, along with statistics, next steps and future priorities. | Ontario Provincial Police |
| Fraser Health Overdose Response Public Report (April–June 2020) | Details regional responses and statistics. | Fraser Health |
| Surveillance of Apparent Opioid Overdoses in New Brunswick (2019-Quarter 4) | Quarterly surveillance report describes data on apparent opioid overdoses and deaths in New Brunswick, along with data on the take-home naloxone kit distribution and use. | New Brunswick Office of the Chief Medical Officer of Health |
| Alberta Opioid Response Surveillance Report (Q2 2020) | Highlights the effects of COVID-19 on unintentional opioid poisonings. | Government of Alberta |
| Evidence on Opioids | Evidence on opioids divided under the topics of pain treatment; misuse, overdose and harms; opioid use disorder; and alternatives to opioids. | Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health |
| Association between mothers’ postoperative opioid prescriptions and opioid-related events in their children: A population-based cohort study | Presents the findings of a study that examined the association between mothers’ postoperative opioid prescriptions and opioid-related emergency department presentations or inpatient admissions by their children. | Statistics Canada |
| Life tables, 2016/2018 | Describes Canadian life expectancy and the probable impact of the opioid crisis. | Statistics Canada |
| Overdose Response Indicator Report | Quarterly report of progress on eight core interventions that form an integrated, comprehensive response to the overdose crisis across the province. | BC Centre for Disease Control |
| Illicit Drug Toxicity Deaths in BC | Summarizes all unintentional illicit drug toxicity deaths in British Columbia (accidental and undetermined) that occurred between January 1, 2010, and July 31, 2020, inclusive. | British Columbia Coroners Service |
| Interactive Opioid Tool: Opioid-related morbidity and mortality in Ontar | Allows users to explore the most recent opioid-related morbidity and mortality data, including emergency department visits, hospitalizations and deaths. | Public Health Ontario |
| Opioid Prescribing by Ontario Dentists 2014–2016 | Examines opioid prescribing patterns of dentists in Ontario from 2014–2016. | Royal College of Dental Surgeons of Ontario |
| Understanding the Implications of a Shifting Opioid Landscape in Ontario | Report summarizing historical patterns of opioid use and overdose to inform future drug policy. | Institute for Clinical Evaluation Sciences Report |
| Stigma and the Opioid Crisis — Final Report | Description of the findings of an 18-months research project that aimed to develop a better understanding of stigma in an opioid use context, identify learning needs among first responders and establish a measure for evaluating anti-stigma initiatives for first responders. | Mental Health Commission of Canada |
| Research Gaps: Treating Opioid Use Disorder | Summary of key findings and evidence gaps identified by CADTH in the context of opioid use disorder treatment. | Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technology in Health |
| Opioid Prescribing in Canada: How Are Practices Changing? | Report discusses findings within the context of initiatives and guidelines aimed at reducing harms associated with prescription opioid use. | Canadian Institute for Health Information |
| Canadian Guidelines on Opioid Use Disorder Among Older Adults | Clinical guidelines that highlight the issues facing older adults with or at risk for an opioid use disorder and that provides recommendations for the prevention, screening, assessment and treatment of opioid use disorder in older adults. | Canadian Coalition for Seniors’ Mental Health |
| Assessing the Impact of an Opioid Prescribing Guideline for Dentists in Ontario, Canada | Report examining the impact of the opioid prescribing guideline for the dental profession. | Ontario Drug Policy Research Network |
| In Plain Sight | An audio series where individuals affected by the opioid crisis share their personal stories. | Health Canada |
| Opioid-related Deaths in Alberta in 2017: Review of Medical Examiner Data, | A review of Chief Medical Examiner’s case files in conjunction with administrative data from Alberta Health to learn about the individuals dying from opioid-related deaths, detect patterns, and inform responses. | Alberta Health |
| The Opioid Mortality Surveillance Report | Report outlining trends and characteristics related to confirmed opioid-related deaths in Ontario. | Ontario Drug Policy Research Network, Office of the Chief Coroner for Ontario and Public Heath Ontario |
| National Report: Apparent Opioid-related Deaths in Canada (June 2019) | A summary of apparent opioid-related deaths as of May 15, 2019. | Public Health Agency of Canada |
| Employment and Social Assistance Receipt Among Overdose Fatalities in British Columbia | An article outlining the employment history and income sources of individuals who experienced a fatal illicit drug overdose between 2007 and 2016 in British Columbia. | Statistics Canada |
| National Report: Apparent Opioid-related Deaths in Canada (April 2019) | A summary of apparent opioid-related deaths as of March 2019. | Public Health Agency of Canada |
| Overview of National Data on Opioid-Related Harms and Deaths | A summary of apparent opioid-related deaths, hospitalizations and emergency room visits as of December 2018. | Government of Canada |
| The Opioid Chapters | The personal stories of eleven individuals’ experiences with opioids. | Ontario Drug Policy Research Network and Health Debate Project |
| Opioid-Related Deaths in Ontario: Prescribed, Diverted, or Illicit? | An infographic outlining the characteristics of individuals who experienced an opioid-related death in 2016. | Ontario Drug Policy Research Network |
| Ontario Prescription Opioid Tool | An interactive tool that displays trends in opioid prescribing across Ontario from 2012 onwards. Indicators can be displayed by month, year, age group, sex and geography. | Ontario Drug Policy Research Network |
| Women and Prescription Opioids | Brief summary of prescription opioids and considerations unique for women | Centre of Excellence for Women’s Health |
| Sex, Gender and Opioids | Brief summary of sex and gender differences related to opioid use and its impact. | Centre of Excellence for Women’s Health |
| Facing Addiction in America: The Surgeon General’s Spotlight on Opioids | Summary of the U.S. experience that provides data on prevalence of substance use, opioid misuse, opioid use disorders, and opioid overdoses and related harms, as well as the public health response across the continuum of care. | U.S. Department of Health and Human Services |
| Statement from the Co-Chairs of the Special Advisory Committee on the Epidemic of Opioid Overdoses Regarding Updated Data on Canada’s Opioid Crisis | Data on opioid-related mortality as of September 2018. | Public Health Agency of Canada |
| Statement from the Co-Chairs of the Special Advisory Committee on the Epidemic of Opioid Overdoses Regarding Updated Data on Canada’s Opioid Crisis | Data on opioid-related mortality as of September 2018. | Canadian Institute for Health Information |
| Pan-Canadian Trends in the Prescribing of Opioid and Benzodiazepines, 2012 to 2017 | A chartbook that provides trends in the prescribing of opioids and benzodiazepines for 2017. | Canadian Institute for Health Information |
| National Surveillance of Opioid-related Harms | Emergency Medical Services information from available jurisdictions is provided to allow for examination of suspected opioid-related overdoses in pre-hospital settings | Public Health Agency of Canada in partnership with the Canadian Institute for Health Information |
| National report: Apparent opioid-related deaths in Canada (June 2018) | Presents data collected by the provinces and territories on apparent opioid-related deaths. | Public Health Agency of Canada in partnership with the Canadian Institute for Health Information |
| Assessment of the Impact of the Ontario Fentanyl Patch-for-Patch Return Program | A summary of analyses evaluating the impact of the Fentanyl P4P return program | Public Safety Canada |
| Statement from the Co-Chairs of Special Advisory Committee on the Epidemic of Opioid Overdoses on Updates to Opioid-Related Mortality Data | Data on opioid-related mortality as of December 2017 | Public Health Agency of Canada |
| Starting on Opioids in Ontario | Report on data related to positives and areas for improvement related to ‘new starts’ of opioids | Health Quality Ontario |
| Opioid-related Morbidity and Mortality in Ontario | An interactive tool that allows users to explore the most recent opioid-related morbidity and mortality data, including emergency department visits, hospitalizations and deaths | Public Health Ontario |
| 2017 Current Prescribing and Dispensing Landscape in Canada | Report based on survey findings of Canadian family physicians and community pharmacists | Canada Health Infoway |
| Results of the Survey on Opioid Awareness | Survey of Canadians knowledge of opioid issue and risks, and the willingness to act as of November 2017 | Statistics Canada |
| Hospitalizations and Emergency Department Visits due to Opioid Poisonings in Canada | A report, infographic and data tables | Canadian Institute for Health Information |
| Opioid-Related Harms in Canada | Report of community-based prescription data on the number of people receiving opioid prescriptions and the quantity of opioids prescribed in Canada | Report of community-based prescription data on the number of people receiving opioid prescriptions and the quantity of opioids prescribed in Canada |
| Pan-Canadian Trends in the Prescribing of Opioids, 2012 to 2016 | Report of community-based prescription data on the number of people receiving opioid prescriptions and the quantity of opioids prescribed in Canada | Canadian Institute for Health Information |
