Canadian Medical Protective Association Looking into Opioid Prescribing
VANCOUVER – The medical profession is waking up to the reality that opioids have been over-prescribed in Canada and is actively searching for solutions, says a national association that represents doctors in legal matters.
Dr. Gordon Wallace, managing director of safe medical care with the Canadian Medical Protective Association, said the group was bringing in a panel of experts on Wednesday to advise doctors on the safe management and prescription of the medications, as opioid addictions reach crisis levels in Canada.
“We’ve been over-prescribing and we need to reset this,” he said in an interview on Tuesday. “The challenge is to reset this in a way that you actually are adequately treating pain.”
The issue is on the group’s agenda at its annual meeting in Vancouver, held in conjunction with the Canadian Medical Association’s annual conference.