Study says small pool of doctors treat majority of Ontarians with opioid addiction
Posted Jul 19, 2017 05:54:11 AM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
A study has found that people battling opioid addictions in Ontario are being treated and prescribed medications by a limited number of doctors.
The study published in the journal “Drug and Alcohol Dependence” says most of the doctors work in addiction treatment centres in urban areas and see dozens of patients each day.
The study’s authors say this extreme clustering of services among a small group of physicians creates a vulnerable opioid maintenance therapy system.
They say it raises concerns about the quality of patient care and access to therapy.
Locally, the numbers are troubling – 28 suspected opioid-related deaths in the first four months of this year in Waterloo Region.
That’s from the Waterloo Crime Prevention Council.
