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