reports from council
Council adopts strategy
to tackle opioid crisis
C
This is an
overview of the
discussions and
decisions made
at the May Council
meeting.
ouncil has launched a
wide-ranging strategy
to tackle the opioid
crisis; one that puts
public and patient safety at the
forefront.
In discussing the strategy, Coun-
cil noted that it has taken 20 years
for the current crisis to develop
and quick fixes and easy answers
will not work. Council’s strategy
recognizes that resources, collabo-
ration with different groups and a
steadfast commitment to improved
patient and public safety are neces-
sary in order to prevail.
Council’s strategy will see several
of the College’s key responsibili-
ties – guidance of the profession,
assessment and investigation – play
significant roles in advancing efforts
to ensure appropriate prescribing.
The overall objectives of the Col-
lege’s opioid initiative are to:
• Facilitate safe and appropriate
opioid prescribing by physicians
to patients,
• Protect patient access to care, and
• Reduce risk to both patients and
the public.
Key to this strategy’s success will
be providing physicians with the
information and guidance they
need. This will include updating
our Prescribing Drugs policy to
incorporate elements of the recently
released Canadian Guideline for
Opioids for Chronic Non-Cancer
Pain.
The strategy will also see the
College continue focused metha-
done assessments and we will work
toward expanding the focus of
assessments to opioid prescribing
through the Quality Assurance
Issue 2, 2017 Dialogue
15