Grant: Project Grant

In Canada, chronic pain is a major public health problem that affects 20% of the adult population. Despite growing evidence that prescription opioids are largely ineffective for managing chronic pain, it is commonly prescribed on a long-term basis. Consequently, long-term prescription opioid use and misuse have been associated with high rates of addiction and overdose. Pressures to taper individuals off opioid medications due to the increased risks associated with long-term opioid therapy create challenging therapeutic and clinical issues due to the unique complications and risks associated with tapering. However, current BC and national opioid tapering guidelines are lacking in high-quality evidence, making it difficult for healthcare providers to develop effective approaches to tapering that reduce risk of patients transitioning to the illicit drug supply. In the midst of a national overdose crisis, evidence is urgently required to inform clinical practice to prevent the risks of adverse outcomes associated with long-term opioid therapy and inappropriate tapering approaches. The proposed three-year study will utilize linked administrative data and seek to: identify and characterize trends in prescription opioid tapering patterns, evaluate the impacts of opioid prescribing guidelines on tapering patterns, assess the effect of tapering on overdose and mortality, and understand the differences between those with and without concurrent opioid use disorder. Findings from this research will be essential to developing clinical guidelines and protocols that will seek to effectively reduce the harms associated with long-term opioid therapy and provide evidence for optimal opioid tapering approaches.