Opioid-Related Research

Opioids are a group of prescription drugs used to treat pain conditions; however the efficacy and safety of their use in treating chronic non-cancer pain has been widely questioned due to a lack of long-term studies, the availability of various opioid types and potencies on the market, and uncertainty on appropriate dosing. Given that Canada and the United States have the highest per capita consumption of opioids worldwide, this area requires further evidence.

The ODPRN has conducted several population-based studies on the safe and appropriate use of opioids in Ontario by investigating the overall trends and geographic variation in opioid prescribing and related deaths, and the impact of policy and education interventions on important patient outcomes.

wdt_ID Title Publication Type Date Released Research Topic Additional Resources
wdt_ID Title Publication Type Date Released Research Topic Additional Resources
1 Long-term analgesic use after low-risk surgery Journal Article 12 Mar 2012 Descriptive and Utilization Trends Letter to Editor
2 Geographical variation in opioid prescribing and opioid-related mortality in ontario Journal Article 01 Jan 2011 Descriptive and Utilization Trends Research Minute
3 Trends in opioid use and dosing among socio-economically disadvantaged patients Journal Article 25 Jan 2011 Descriptive and Utilization Trends
4 Clustering of opioid prescribing and opioid-related mortality among family physicians in Ontario Journal Article 01 Mar 2011 Descriptive and Utilization Trends
5 Use of other opioids during methadone therapy: A population-based study Journal Article 18 Jan 2012 Descriptive and Utilization Trends
6 Trends in high-dose opioid prescribing in Canada Journal Article 01 Sep 2014 Descriptive and Utilization Trends Research Minute
7 Opioid use and related adverse events in Ontario Public Report 10 Nov 2016 Descriptive and Utilization Trends County Report Cards
8 Opioid prescribing and opioid-related hospital visits in Ontario Public Report 01 Jul 2015 Descriptive and Utilization Trends
9 The burden of premature opioid-related mortality Public Report 01 May 2014 Descriptive and Utilization Trends Research Minute
10 Prescribing of opioids and opioid-related mortality in Ontario: 2004-2006 Public Report 01 Jul 2012 Descriptive and Utilization Trends
11 Evaluating the effectiveness of first-time methadone maintenance therapy across northern rural and urban regions of Ontario Journal Article 03 Nov 2015 Drug Adherence Research Minute
12 Reformulation of controlled-release oxycodone and pharmacy dispensing patterns near the US–Canada border Journal Article 13 Nov 2012 Pharmacy practices and Services Research Minute
13 Effect of a course-based intervention and effect of medical regulation on physicians’ opioid prescribing Journal Article 01 May 2013 Policy analysis Research Minute
14 Impact of legislation and a prescription monitoring program on the prevalence of potentially inappropriate prescriptions for monitored drugs in Ontario: A time series analysis Journal Article 18 Nov 2014 Policy analysis Research Minute
15 High strength opioid formulations in Ontario: By the numbers Public Report 02 Aug 2016 Descriptive and Utilization Trends Infographic
16 Prescribing of opioid analgesics and related mortality before and after the introduction of long-acting oxycodone Journal Article 07 Dec 2009 Real-world Safety and Effectiveness Letter to Editor
17 High-dose opioid prescribing and opioid-related hospitalization: A population-based study Journal Article 14 Dec 2016 Real-world Safety and Effectiveness Research Minute
18 Opioid dose and drug-related mortality in patients with nonmalignant pain Journal Article 11 Apr 2011 Real-world Safety and Effectiveness
19 Postpartum maternal codeine therapy and the risk of adverse neonatal outcomes: A retrospective cohort study Journal Article 27 Apr 2012 Real-world Safety and Effectiveness
20 Opioid dose and risk of road trauma in Canada: A population-based study Journal Article 11 Feb 2013 Real-world Safety and Effectiveness Research Minute
22 Neonatal opioid withdrawal and antenatal opioid prescribing Journal Article 11 Feb 2015 Real-world Safety and Effectiveness Research Minute
23 Sex differences in dose escalation and overdose death during chronic opioid therapy: A population-based cohort study Journal Article 20 Aug 2015 Real-world Safety and Effectiveness Research Minute
24 Safety and use of opioids: A summary of ODPRN research on prescription opioid use in Ontario Public Report 01 Aug 2016 Real-world Safety and Effectiveness
25 Sensitivity and specificity of administrative mortality data for identifying prescription opioid-related deaths Journal Article 30 Nov 2015 Methodology
26 Impact of unrestricted access to pregabalin on the use of opioids and other CNS-active medications: A cross-sectional time series analysis Journal Article 06 Mar 2017 Drug-Drug Interactions
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