Opioid crisis can be solved, says coalition of healthcare, patient groups
VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – The opioid crisis in Canada can be solved, according to a coalition of healthcare and patient groups.
A report from the Coalition for Safe and Effective Pain Management suggests Canadians need more access to other pain management strategies, including psychological treatments and physiotherapy, to reduce reliance on addictive opioids.
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The report’s authors believe that better coverage of non-pharmacological pain treatments could reduce the use of opioids as a first-line treatment for non-cancer pain.
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It says that many who become dependent on the drugs were looking for pain relief and didn’t know about alternative pain-management methods, or weren’t able to access them because of limits to funding through public healthcare or insurance.
The CSEPM is a coalition of health system experts, associations of health professionals, and patient organizations that share the objective of reducing opioid prescriptions.
