Resources to educate and support efforts to prevent harms from opioid use, including improving pain management and education for health providers.
This bulletin focuses on developing robust delivery processes for opioid agonist treatment (OAT) to support patients during the pandemic, limiting the exposure of pharmacy staff to COVID-19 by implementing virtual communication and managing the risks for medication errors.
Organization: Institute for Safe Medication Practices Canada
Curriculum providing information, background and rationale for people who will be providing opioid poisoning response training or community-based naloxone kit distribution. Information pertaining to stimulant poisoning and response is included.
Organization: Alberta Health Services
A checklist of topics for pharmacists to cover when providing take-home naloxone kits.
Organization: Centre for Addiction and Mental Health
Provides a range of opioid education resources.
Organization: Government of Canada
Resources to help the public and healthcare practitioners become better informed about opioids and to help reduce and prevent harm.
Organization: Institute for Safe Medication Practices Canada
Report that aims to inform the development of a better approach to pain management in Canada.
Organization: Coalition for Safe and Effective Pain Management
A series of evidence-informed resources that describe effective school-based approaches that aim to enhance well-being and prevent problematic substance use.
Organization: Public Health Agency of Canada
Free one-day training sessions offered to users and their relatives, to and community-based workers who could find themselves in an overdose situation and want to develop the means to respond. (in French only)
Organization: Association des intervenants en dépendance du Québec
A virtual toolkit that links to various communication tools for pharmacists and their patients in the context of opioid use.
Organization: National Association of Pharmacy Regulatory Authorities
A summary of questions and answers about opioids for individuals who may consider reducing or eliminating their opioid use.
Organization: RxFiles
Trial summary with critical appraisal and insights from a randomized controlled trial.
Organization: RxFiles
Trial summary with critical appraisal and insights from a randomized controlled trial.
Organization: RxFiles
Report outlining the current state of care for pain, education options and research being conducted in Canada.
Organization: Canadian Pain Task Force
A list of questions to consider and relevant information about pain after wisdom tooth removal.
Organization: Institute for Safe Medication Practices Canada
A list of questions to consider and relevant information about opioid use for short-term pain.
Organization: Institute for Safe Medication Practices Canada
Provides guidance on establishing a prevention, detection and response system for diverted controlled substances in healthcare facilities.
Organization: Canadian Society of Hospital Pharmacists
A decision support tool outlining the available evidence and its quality related to various treatment options for pain.
Organization: Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technology in Health
Recommendations and guidance for various medical specialties and patients to have an informed conversation about opioid use and how to reduce the harms associated with opioid prescribing.
Organization: Choosing Wisely Canada Recommendations
Professional practice recommendations to inform clinical decision making in the assessment and management of neck and back pain, as well as two referral tools to support inter-professional communication and collaboration.
Organization: Canadian Chiropractic Association
A handout that answers questions an individual might have when prescribed an opioid following surgery
Organization: Institute for Safe Medication Practices Canada
A template based on best available evidence to assist family physicians and primary care nurse practitioners evaluate opioid therapies and reduce opioid dosages where appropriate
Organization: The Centre for Effective Practice
Poster of the 2017 Canadian Opioid Prescribing Guideline
Organization: Pan-Canadian Collaborative for Improved Opioid Prescribing
Supports, coordinates and synchronizes leading innovative and high-impact research with the ultimate goal of removing barriers to better chronic pain management
Organization: Chronic Pain Network
Point-of-care tool that summarizes essential information and advice from the Canadian Guideline for Safe and Effective Use of Opioid for Chronic Non-Cancer Pain
Organization: Michael G. DeGroote National Pain Centre
Quality standard that addresses care for people 15 years of age and older with acute pain who have been prescribed or are considering opioids.
Organization: Health Quality Ontario
Safety bulletin and infographic
Organization: Institute for Safe Medication Practices Canada
Guidelines for clinical practice developed by an international team of clinicians, researchers and patients
Organization: Michael G. DeGroote National Pain Centre
A review of accreditation standards for undergraduate medical education, an environmental scan of offerings across Canadian medical schools, and best practices for teaching and evaluation in opioid prescribing and pain management, primarily in non-cancer pain
Organization: Association of Faculties of Medicine of Canada
Recommendations to reduce the prevalence of opioid prescribing by optimizing non-pharmacological pain management alternatives in Canada
Organization: Coalition for Safe and Effective Pain Management
Resources that ensure the quality, access and availability of supports that can help individuals experiencing harms from opioid use.
Describes the challenges and potential solutions to disruptions in treatment.
Organization: Canadian Institutes of Health Research
Evidence summary of the clinical effectiveness and cost effectiveness of injectable opioid agonist treatment, compared with alternative pharmacological treatments or no treatment, for individuals with opioid dependency.
Organization: Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health
This simplified guideline for managing opioid use disorder was developed with a primary care focus. Recommendations are accompanied by practice pearls and additional resources to support primary care practitioners and shared, informed decision making with patients.
Organization: Canadian Family Physician
Presents some key areas to consider when supporting Indigenous individuals with opioid use disorder who are living in rural and remote communities.
Organization: First Nations Health Authority
The opioid agonist therapy (OAT) standards define the minimum acceptable level of care in Saskatchewan to ensure patient safety for the dispensing of opioid agonist therapies for the treatment of opioid use disorders.
Organization: Saskatchewan College of Pharmacy Professionals
Case studies with four Canadian primary care providers who offer responses to opioid harms that extend beyond those outlined in the guidelines of the Canadian Research Initiative in Substance Misuse. The report suggests that access to pharmaceutical opioid options could substantially improve quality of care and quality of life among people who use opioids.
Organization: Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction
Two-page support for prescribers making decisions on medication choice, treatment considerations, dosage and symptom management.
Organization: Alberta College of Family Physicians
Outlines the opioid agonist treatment assessment criteria that are used by community operations advisors when conducting a community pharmacy assessment of a pharmacy that provides opioid agonist treatment.
Organization: Ontario College of Pharmacists
Description of opioid agonist treatment purpose and context, and the medications and prescribing practices used to administer it.
Organization: British Columbia Centre on Substance Use
A course to prepare learners to effectively and safely manage the treatment of clients receiving methadone or buprenorphine for opioid use disorder.
Organization: Centre for Addiction and Mental Health
An online course providing healthcare workers with evidence-based tools and recommendations and guiding them through a point-of-care tool.
Organization: Centre for Addiction and Mental Health
Environmental scan describing opioid addiction treatment programs in Canada and internationally, including their wait times and patient characteristics.
Organization:Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health
A handbook about treatment and opioid agonist therapy written by people with lived and living experience using opioid and other street drugs.
Organization: British Columbia Centre on Substance Use
The first national injectable opioid agonist treatment guideline, including a clinical guideline and an operational guidance document.
Organization: Canadian Research Initiative in Substance Misuse
An environmental scan for healthcare providers outlining the training programs available to initiate and maintain treatment of opioid use disorder.
Organization: Mental Health Commission of Canada
Online courses to support clinician management of individuals living with chronic pain and/or opioid use disorder, including topics such as connections with mental health, non-pharmacological pain management and safer opioid prescribing.
Organization: MacHealth
An online tool that provides primary care providers with detailed guidance on identifying, and managing individuals living with an opioid use disorder, including approaches for buprenorphine-naloxone induction.
Organization: Centre for Effective Practice
Outlines the evidence for the various components in the continuum of care for the treatment of opioid use disorder, including principles for the manner in which services should be delivered, and highlights the actions taking place across Canada to respond to the opioid crisis.
Organization: Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction
Supplement that emphasize developmentally appropriate, youth-centred, trauma-informed, culturally appropriate care for youth.
Organization: British Columbia Centre on Substance Use
Supplement that emphasize developmentally appropriate, youth-centred, trauma-informed, culturally appropriate care for youth.
Organization: British Columbia Centre on Substance Use
Outlines optimal treatment approaches and the strength of the evidence behind the recommendations
Organization: Canadian Research Initiative in Substance Misuse
Care pathways to guide treatment for prescription drug harms
Organization: Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction
Practice point that focuses on the effects of opioid withdrawal and current management strategies in the care of infants born to mothers with opioid dependency
Organization: Canadian Paediatric Society
Quality standard that addresses care for people 16 years of age and older (including those who are pregnant) who have or are suspected of having opioid use disorder
Organization: Health Quality Ontario
Resources that outline efforts to reduce the harms experiences from opioid use, including opioid poisonings.
Hand out to help clinicians discuss with patients the use of opioid agonist therapy, and share advice about the risks, benefits and adverse effects of buprenorphine/naloxone.
Organization: Institute for Safe Medical Practices
Hand out to help clinicians discuss with patients the use of opioid agonist therapy, and share advice about the risks, benefits and adverse effects of methadone.
Organization: Institute for Safe Medical Practices
Highlights actions taken to implement the Toronto Overdose Action Plan, including issues related to the COVID-19 pandemic, and recommends additional actions to address the opioid poisoning crisis in the context of the pandemic and the increasingly toxic drug supply.
Organization: City of Toronto
Key indicators from a program designed to reduce adverse events and long-term dependence, and avoid future opioid misuse, while maintaining pain management for people receiving opioids during their acute admission.
Organization: British Columbia Centre on Substance Use
Position statement offering recommendations designed to position emergency medicine, emergency health care providers and EDs as key partners in a strategy to address Canada’s opioid crisis.
Organization: Canadian Association of Emergency Physicians
Comments on Health Canada’s proposal to develop new regulations under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act for supervised consumption sites and services.
Organization: Centre for Addiction and Mental Health
Provides results of samples from the unregulated drug supply checked by Toronto’s drug checking service between Oct. 2019 and Mar. 2020 and discusses key findings.
Organization: Centre on Drug Policy Evaluation
Knowledge summary outlining the results of a survey describing naloxone kit possession among people who use drugs in British Columbia.
Organization: B.C. Centre for Disease Control
A toolkit to help post-secondary programs develop a protocol to prevent and respond to opioid overdose.
Organization: Canadian Mental Health Association
An environmental scan of naloxone access and distribution across Canada, including barriers to use and number of kits reported as used to reverse an overdose.
Organization: Canadian Research Initiative in Substance Misuse
Analysis of naloxone distribution from pharmacy and community-based programs in relation to benchmarks.
Organization: Ontario Drug Policy Research Network
A 10-chapter video resource for frontline healthcare workers to ensure individuals who use drugs receive non-judgmental, compassionate and trauma-informed care.
Organization: BC Centre for Disease Control and the National Film Board of Canada
A one-page summary of the concept and availability of “safe supply” of drugs.
Organization: Canadian Association of People Who Use Drugs
An alert outlining the limitations of fentanyl test strips.
Organization: Health Canada
Videos that outline pharmacists’ role in the opioid crisis and how to administer nasal and injectable naloxone.
Organization: Canadian Pharmacists Association
Recommendations and guidance for various models to offer safe consumption services.
Organization: British Columbia Centre on Substance Use
An excel template to help jurisdictions evaluate making naloxone more accessible
Organization: Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction
An environmental scan outlining naloxone availability as of November 2017
Organization: Canadian Pharmacists Association
A guide that provides an overview of Ontario’s current situation regarding opioids, and content for organizations to develop an overdose protocol
Organization: Canadian Mental Health Association Ontario
Safe medication use newsletter with suggestions for questions to ask your healthcare provider or doctor
Organization: Institute for Safe Medication Practices Canada
A guide that outlines four key elements of a public health overdose response and suggests a process for implementing a community overdose response plan
Organization: University of Victoria, Centre for Addictions Research of BC
Resources related to police and other enforcement agency efforts to reduce harms from illicit opioid use.
Guideline addressing bail conditions for accused with substance use disorders while ensuring due regard for the protection of public safety.
Organization: Public Prosecution Service of Canada
Report highlighting the Ontario Provincial Police’s response to the opioid crisis, including trends and statistics.
Organization: Ontario Provincial Police
A report on actions the Vancouver Police Department took from 2017 to 2019 to respond to the opioid crisis.
Organization: Vancouver Police Department
A summary of the knowledge shared on various enforcement perspectives at a meeting held in September 2019.
Organization: Public Safety Canada
A webpage outlining the charges the Good Samaritan Drug Overdose Act can and cannot provides protections against, as well as links to a poster and information card.
Organization: Ontario Provincial Police
Overdose Incidents in Federal Custody, 2012/2013-2016/2017
Organization: Correctional Services Canada
A summary of the knowledge shared on various enforcement perspectives at a meeting held in March 2018. A summary of the knowledge shared on various enforcement perspectives at a meeting held in March 2018.
Organization: Public Safety Canada and Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction
A review of key concepts and illustrative examples, and a summary of lessons learned to inform policy and practice.
Organization: Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction
Report on actions enforcement has and can take to respond to the opioid crisis
Organization: Police Executive Research Forum
Resources that provide research evidence and data related to opioids and the extent of and response to the crisis.
Two joint documents listing a series of structuring measures aimed at, amongst other things, improving access to services for people who need a medication treatment for OUD and promoting the implementation of different actions to reduce opioids-related harms (in French only)
Organization: Institut universitaire sur les dépendances
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)
Organization: Institut universitaire sur les dépendances
Report on consultations to identify best practices and to gather suggestions for the development of effective strategies to better understand, prevent and manage pain.
Organization: Canadian Pain Task Force
Activities, resources and recommendations to inform effective and safe use and prescribing of opioids for acute pain in infants, children and youth.
Organization: Solutions for Kids in Pain and Canadian Foundation for Healthcare Improvement
Statistics on opioid poisoning emergency department visits at hospitals in Simcoe Muskoka.
Organization: Simcoe Muskoka
Timely opioid-related information to the public, community partners, and individuals who use substances.
Organization: Brant County Health Unit
Local and timely information about opioid use and poisonings in the region.
Organization: Waterloo Region
A monthly snapshot of opioid activity in Halton Region.
Organization: Halton Region
Saskatchewan statistics on drug toxicity deaths, 2010–2020.
Organization: Saskatchewan Coroners Service
Statistics about the circumstances that contributed to opioid-related deaths to inform preventive interventions and policies.
Organization: Public Health Ontario
Summary of deaths for which fentanyl or its analogues were detected.
Organization: BC Coroners Service
Outlines the progress made and the challenges witnessed by the OPP, along with statistics, next steps and future priorities.
Organization: Ontario Provincial Police
Details regional responses and statistics.
Organization: Fraser Health
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.
Organization: New Brunswick Office of the Chief Medical Officer of Health
Highlights the effects of COVID-19 on unintentional opioid poisonings.
Organization: Government of Alberta
Evidence on opioids divided under the topics of pain treatment; misuse, overdose and harms; opioid use disorder; and alternatives to opioids.
Organization: Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health
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.
Organization: Statistics Canada
Describes Canadian life expectancy and the probable impact of the opioid crisis.
Organization: Statistics Canada
Quarterly report of progress on eight core interventions that form an integrated, comprehensive response to the overdose crisis across the province.
Organization: BC Centre for Disease Control
Summarizes all unintentional illicit drug toxicity deaths in British Columbia (accidental and undetermined) that occurred between January 1, 2010, and July 31, 2020, inclusive.
Organization: British Columbia Coroners Service
Allows users to explore the most recent opioid-related morbidity and mortality data, including emergency department visits, hospitalizations and deaths.
Organization: Public Health Ontario
Examines opioid prescribing patterns of dentists in Ontario from 2014–2016.
Organization: Royal College of Dental Surgeons of Ontario
Report summarizing historical patterns of opioid use and overdose to inform future drug policy.
Organization: Institute for Clinical Evaluation Sciences 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.
Organization: Mental Health Commission of Canada
Summary of key findings and evidence gaps identified by CADTH in the context of opioid use disorder treatment.
Organization: Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technology in Health
Report discusses findings within the context of initiatives and guidelines aimed at reducing harms associated with prescription opioid use.
Organization: Canadian Institute for Health Information
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.
Organization: Canadian Coalition for Seniors’ Mental Health
Report examining the impact of the opioid prescribing guideline for the dental profession.
Organization: Ontario Drug Policy Research Network
An audio series where individuals affected by the opioid crisis share their personal stories.
Organization: Health Canada
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.
Organization: Alberta Health
Report outlining trends and characteristics related to confirmed opioid-related deaths in Ontario.
Organization: Ontario Drug Policy Research Network, Office of the Chief Coroner for Ontario and Public Heath Ontario
A summary of apparent opioid-related deaths as of May 15, 2019.
Organization: Public Health Agency of Canada
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.
Organization: Statistics Canada
A summary of apparent opioid-related deaths as of March 2019.
Organization: Public Health Agency of Canada
A summary of apparent opioid-related deaths, hospitalizations and emergency room visits as of December 2018.
Organization: Government of Canada
The personal stories of eleven individuals’ experiences with opioids.
Organization: Ontario Drug Policy Research Network and Health Debate Project
An infographic outlining the characteristics of individuals who experienced an opioid-related death in 2016.
Organization: Ontario Drug Policy Research Network
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.
Organization: Ontario Drug Policy Research Network
Brief summary of prescription opioids and considerations unique for women.
Organization: Centre of Excellence for Women’s Health
Brief summary of sex and gender differences related to opioid use and its impact.
Organization: Centre of Excellence for Women’s Health
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.
Organization: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Data on opioid-related mortality as of September 2018.
Organization: Public Health Agency of Canada
A chartbook that provides trends in the prescribing of opioids and benzodiazepines for 2017.
Organization: Canadian Institute for Health Information
A map that provides estimated opioid-related hospitalizations in 2017 by jurisdiction.
Organization: Canadian Institute for Health Information
Emergency Medical Services information from available jurisdictions is provided to allow for examination of suspected opioid-related overdoses in pre-hospital settings.
Organization: Public Health Agency of Canada in partnership with the Canadian Institute for Health Information
Presents data collected by the provinces and territories on apparent opioid-related deaths.
Organization: Public Health Agency of Canada in partnership with the Canadian Institute for Health Information
A summary of analyses evaluating the impact of the Fentanyl P4P return program
Organization: Public Safety Canada
Data on opioid-related mortality as of December 2017
Organization: Public Health Agency of Canada
Report on data related to positives and areas for improvement related to ‘new starts’ of opioids
Organization: Health Quality 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
Organization: Public Health Ontario
Report based on survey findings of Canadian family physicians and community pharmacists
Organization: Canada Health Infoway
Survey of Canadians knowledge of opioid issue and risks, and the willingness to act as of November 2017
Organization: Statistics Canada
A report, infographic and data tables
Organization: Canadian Institute for Health Information
Report of community-based prescription data on the number of people receiving opioid prescriptions and the quantity of opioids prescribed in Canada
Organization:Government of Canada
Report of community-based prescription data on the number of people receiving opioid prescriptions and the quantity of opioids prescribed in Canada
Organization: Canadian Institute for Health Information
National efforts that represent collaborations and information sharing to combat the opioid crisis.
Webpage of information and prevention resources.
Organization: Interior Health
School-focused resource for prevention and education of youth
Organization: Interior Health
Describes the lived experience of individuals using opioids in Timiskaming and their health and medical needs.
Organization: Timiskaming Health Unit
Provides potential diagnostic difficulties and risk management strategies for diseases associated with intravenous drug use.
Organization: Canadian Medical Protective Association
This overview identifies the actions taken by the Government of Canada since early 2016 to address the opioid crisis and provides a national picture of the public health impact of opioids in Canada.
Organization: Government of Canada
Strategy outlining Alberta’s guiding principles, facilitators of change, and focus areas and priorities for achieving excellence in pain management across the lifespan from 2019–2024.
Organization: Alberta Health Services
Toolkit for substance use and child welfare practitioners and others who offer services to or design services with pregnant women and new mothers who use substances.
Organization: Centre of Excellence for Women’s Health
Resources and guides for journalists and opioid leaders to ensure drug use and addiction are represented accurately and humanely in the media.
Organization: Health in Justice Action Lab, Northeastern University School of Law
A handbook with resources for those who have lost a loved one to drug-related harms.
Organization: British Columbia Centre on Substance Use
This report summarizes the opioid-related knowledge sharing from the United States and Canada and the actions that have resulted directly from a partnership sponsored by the United States Embassy to Canada in Ottawa.
Organization: Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction
This report summarizes the dialogue shared among diverse stakeholders over a two-day event, held in September 2018, examining the various aspects of the opioid crisis and opportunities for collaboration.
Organization: Health Canada
Recommendations for the media to reduce stigma and help shift public opinion.
Organization: Centre of Excellence for Women’s Health
A Discussion Guide for Health Care and Social Service Providers
Organization: Centre of Excellence for Women’s Health
A document explaining the importance of language and providing terminology that is person-centred
Organization: Health Canada
A webpage that defines stigma, outlines why it matters and what individuals can do to help.
Organization: Health Canada
A video to raise awareness about the effects that stigma has on the quality of life of people who use drugs, people in recovery and their families
Organization: Health Canada
Recording of webinars in English and French that address various components of the opioid crisis, including treatment, supervised consumption sites, overdose prevention and more
Organization: Canadian Nurses Association
A strategy with 58 recommendations across multiple streams of action to address prescription drug harms
Organization: Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction
A summary of the ministerial roundtable on opioids
Organization: HealthCareCan