Research Project Summary

Year Funded: 2013 Budget: Funding Agency: Canadian Institutes of Health Research
Title: Strategies to Support Appropriate Use of Prescription Opioids: A Systematic Review Using Narrative and Best Evidence Synthesis Methods (IWH Project 3160)
Category: Compensation, Disability Management and Return to Work
Subcategory: Compensation, Disability Management and Return to Work
Keywords: systematic review, work disability, narcotics, health-care
Link to research website:

Issue:

Abuse of prescription opioids is a serious health and safety problem in North America. Canada is the second largest consumer of prescription opioid per capita globally, second only to the United States. In Canada, total prescription opioids consumed in Canada increased 203% from 2000 to 2010, which is steeper than that observed in the US. The scientific literature of the efficacy of opioids has been traditionally synthesized in various meta-analyses, and currently, our group is conducting a systematic review of observational and epidemiological evidence on the outcomes of long-term use of opioids. However, an area that has not been the subject of any systematic review is strategies to promote the appropriate use of prescription opioids.

Objectives:

• To conduct a systematic review (using narrative and best-evidence syntheses methods) of existing strategies, frameworks, collaborative networks and materials to promote the appropriate use of prescription opioids and/or to reduce the abuse of these drugs.
• To identify gaps, inconsistencies and duplication among strategies to guide future research and practices.

Anticipated Results:

The knowledge users interested in this topic are not limited to healthcare professionals, but rather are representatives of diverse groups, public health, prevention services, government, law enforcement, regulators, and insurance payers all of whom are interested in programs, strategies, policies and regulations to solve the problem of inappropriate opioid use.

Investigators:

Andrea Furlan, Nancy Carnide, Emma Irvin, Jaemin Kim, Quenby Mahood, Claire Munhall, Dwayne Van Eerd