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Addictions and Drugs

Opioid prescribing for pain is declining in Canada

Efforts to promote safer opioid prescribing in Canada appear to be having an effect, as new research in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal) shows a decrease in opioid dispensing between 2018 and 2022. In the early 2000s, use of prescription opioids to treat acute and...

Youth opioid use rising

Youth opioid use is increasing in Canada, as are related emergency department visits and deaths, yet governments are not providing adequate support to address this public health crisis, argue the authors of a CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal) editorial. “If this crisis is not properly...
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New program for people facing addictions and homelessness

Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre (RVH), in partnership with the HART of Simcoe County,...

New hope for people with stimulant use disorder

Every day in British Columbia, five people lose their lives to unregulated drug toxicity....

Federal needle exchange programs are to reduce health care costs, blood-borne infections

New research suggests that every dollar spent in Prison Needle Exchange Programs (PNEPs) in...

Drug overdose more likely in patients who leave hospital against medical advice

People who initiate a premature or “before medically advised” (BMA) hospital discharge have a...

Overdose-induced brain injury

The toxic drug crisis is a long-standing public health emergency, but many are unaware...

Long-term follow-ups improve health outcomes for people with substance use disorders

A novel longitudinal outreach program for people with opioid use disorder (OUD), set into...

Clinic improves access to mental health services for patients with addiction and mental health issues

People with substance use disorders are up to three times more likely to have...

Emergency department discussions about opioid use

The emergency department’s role in providing life-saving care can extend into longer-term treatment plans...

Optimizing opioid prescriptions after the ED to reduce opioid overdoses, misuse

New research aims to help reduce the quantity of unused prescription opioids after emergency...

Artificial intelligence and patient care: Considerations of medication safety

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has generated significant excitement globally. One notable AI system is ChatGPT...

A quarter of deaths among young adults in Canada were opioid related in 2021

Premature deaths related to opioids doubled between 2019 and 2021 across Canada, with more...

Common drug interactions with over-the-counter medications

TJ, a 45-year-old male with symptoms of a common cold (sore throat, headache, runny...

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