381 out of every 10,000 Ontarians
were dispensed oxycodone or oxycodone compounds .
The rate ranged from :
197 per 10,000 population in
Champlain LHIN
567 per 10,000 population in Erie St . Clair LHIN
Nearly 2 out of every 1,000 Ontarians visited an Emergency Department within seven days of being dispensed an opioid .
The amount of fentanyl dispensed ranged from 71,000 mg OME / recipient in Central West LHIN to 102,000 mg OME / recipient in South East LHIN
Fentanyl patches oral morphine equivALENTS
87,000 mg 9,800 mg
Nearly 87,000 mg oral morphine equivalents ( OME ) of fentanyl ( in patch form ) were dispensed per recipient in Ontario , almost nine times the amount of morphine ( 9,800 mg / recipient ).
SOUTH EAST LHIN 102,000 mg
Central West LHIN
71,000 mg
A picture emerges of opioid use across Ontario
Central database of monitored drugs shows patterns in prescribing , dispensing
A comprehensive picture of opioid prescribing and dispensing activity in Ontario has been created by the province ’ s central database of monitored drugs . Using data collected by the Narcotics Monitoring System ( NMS ), the Ontario Narcotics Atlas report describes opioid utilization across Ontario – the individuals receiving opioids and patterns in opioid prescribing and dispensing over time and across geographies . The focus of the Narcotics Atlas is opioids that are used primarily to treat acute and chronic pain . The report also examines opioid maintenance treatments .
The Narcotics Atlas is based upon data from Ontario ’ s 2014-2015 fiscal year . Launched in 2012 , the NMS collects dispensing data on narcotics and controlled substances , collectively referred to as monitored drugs , from outpatient pharmacies across Ontario . The NMS collects data for all monitored drugs , irrespective of whether the prescription is paid for through a publicly funded program , private insurance , or out-of-pocket . In the last issue of Dialogue , we published opioid statistics specific to Ontario Drug Benefit program recipients .
Issue 1 , 2017 Dialogue 25