Opioid-related deaths between 2019 and 2021 across 9 Canadian provinces and territories.

BACKGROUND: The drug toxicity crisis continues to accelerate across Canada, with rapid increases in opioid-related harms following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. We sought to describe trends in the burden of opioid-related deaths across Canada throughout the pandemic, comparing these trends by province or territory, age, and sex. METHODS: We conducted a repeated cross-sectional analysis of accidental opioid-related deaths between Jan. 1, 2019, and Dec. 31, 2021, across 9 Canadian provinces and territories using aggregated national data. Our primary measure was the burden of premature opioid-related death, measured by potential years of life lost. Our secondary measure was the proportion of all deaths attributable to opioids; we used the Cochrane-Armitage test for trend to compare proportions. RESULTS: Between 2019 and 2021, the annual number of opioid-related deaths increased from 3007 to 6222 and years of life lost increased from 126 115 to 256 336 (from 3.5 to 7.0 yr of life lost per 1000 population). In 2021, the highest number of years of life lost was among males (181 525 yr) and people aged 30-39 years (87 045 yr). In 2019, we found that 1.7% of all deaths among those younger than 85 years were related to opioids, rising to 3.2% in 2021. Significant increases in the proportion of deaths related to opioids were observed across all age groups (p < 0.001), representing 29.3% and 29.0% of deaths among people aged 20-29 and 30-39 years in 2021, respectively. INTERPRETATION: Across Canada, the burden of premature opioid-related deaths doubled between 2019 and 2021, representing more than one-quarter of deaths among younger adults. The disproportionate loss of life in this demographic group highlights the critical need for targeted prevention efforts.

Association between opioid use disorder and palliative care: a cohort study using linked health administrative data in Ontario, Canada.

BACKGROUND: People with opioid use disorder (OUD) are at risk of premature death and can benefit from palliative care. We sought to compare palliative care provision for decedents with and without OUD. METHODS: We conducted a cohort study using health administrative databases in Ontario, Canada, to identify people who died between July 1, 2015, and Dec. 31, 2021. The exposure was OUD, defined as having emergency department visits, hospital admissions, or pharmacologic treatments suggestive of OUD within 3 years of death. Our primary outcome was receipt of 1 or more palliative care services during the last 90 days before death. Secondary outcomes included setting, initiation, and intensity of palliative care. We conducted a secondary analysis excluding sudden deaths (e.g., opioid toxicity, injury). RESULTS: Of 679 840 decedents, 11 200 (1.6%) had OUD. Compared with people without OUD, those with OUD died at a younger age and were more likely to live in neighbourhoods with high marginalization indices. We found people with OUD were less likely to receive palliative care at the end of their lives (adjusted relative risk [RR] 0.84, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.82-0.86), but this difference did not exist after excluding people who died suddenly (adjusted RR 0.99, 95% CI 0.96-1.01). People with OUD were less likely to receive palliative care in clinics and their homes regardless of cause of death. INTERPRETATION: Opioid use disorder can be a chronic, life-limiting illness, and people with OUD are less likely to receive palliative care in communities during the 90 days before death. Health care providers should receive training in palliative care and addiction medicine to support people with OUD.

Patterns of publicly funded naltrexone use among patients diagnosed with alcohol use disorder in Ontario.

AIMS: Naltrexone is recommended first-line to manage alcohol use disorder (AUD). With previous studies indicating poor retention on naltrexone, we determined duration of naltrexone use and assessed the association between prescription setting and time to discontinuation in Ontario. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective population-based cohort study among Ontario public drug beneficiaries diagnosed with AUD who initiated publicly funded naltrexone from June 2018 to September 2019. The primary outcome was time to naltrexone discontinuation, with a secondary analysis assessing receipt of at least one prescription refill. We used Cox proportional hazards models and logistic regression to test the association between prescription setting and each medication persistence outcome. RESULTS: Among 2531 new naltrexone patients with AUD, the median duration of naltrexone use was 31 days and 394 (15.6%) continued naltrexone for 6 months or longer. There was no association between setting of initiation and duration of naltrexone use; however, those initiating naltrexone following an acute inpatient hospital stay were more likely to fill a second prescription (aOR 1.43, 95% CI 0.96-2.14), while those initiating after an ED visit were less likely to be dispensed a second prescription (aOR = 0.69, 95% CI 0.52-0.90) compared to those starting in a physician's office. CONCLUSION: Persistence on naltrexone to treat an AUD is low, regardless of the setting of initiation. Further research is needed to elucidate the barriers encountered by patients with AUD that lead to poor treatment persistence in order to develop interventions that facilitate patient-centered access to evidence-based treatment for AUD in the province.

Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on prescription stimulant use among children and youth: a population-based study.

COVID-19 associated public health measures and school closures exacerbated symptoms in some children and youth with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Less well understood is how the pandemic influenced patterns of prescription stimulant use. We conducted a population-based study of stimulant dispensing to children and youth ≤ 24 years old between January 1, 2013, and June 30, 2022. We used structural break analyses to identify the pandemic month(s) when changes in the dispensing of stimulants occurred. We used interrupted time series models to quantify changes in dispensing following the structural break and compare observed and expected stimulant use. Our main outcome was the change in the monthly rate of stimulant use per 100,000 children and youth. Following an initial immediate decline of 60.1 individuals per 100,000 (95% confidence interval [CI] - 99.0 to - 21.2), the monthly rate of stimulant dispensing increased by 11.8 individuals per 100,000 (95% CI 10.0-13.6), with the greatest increases in trend observed among females, individuals in the highest income neighbourhoods, and those aged 20 to 24. Observed rates were between 3.9% (95% CI 1.7-6.2%) and 36.9% (95% CI 34.3-39.5%) higher than predicted among females from June 2020 onward and between 7.1% (95% CI 4.2-10.0%) and 50.7% (95% CI 47.0-54.4%) higher than expected among individuals aged 20-24 from May 2020 onward. Additional research is needed to ascertain the appropriateness of stimulant use and to develop strategies supporting children and youth with ADHD during future periods of long-term stressors.

Brief Report: A population-based study of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on benzodiazepine use among children and young adults.

The COVID-19 pandemic was associated with increases in the prevalence of depression and anxiety among children and young adults. We studied whether the pandemic was associated with changes in prescription benzodiazepine use. We conducted a population-based study of benzodiazepine dispensing to children and young adults ≤ 24 years old between January 1, 2013, and June 30, 2022. We used structural break analyses to identify the pandemic month(s) when changes in prescription benzodiazepine dispensing occurred, and interrupted time series models to quantify changes in dispensing following the structural break and compare observed and expected benzodiazepine use. A structural break occurs where there is a sudden change in the trend of a time series. We observed an immediate decline in benzodiazepine dispensing of 23.6 per 100,000 (95% confidence interval [CI]: -33.6 to -21.2) associated with a structural break in April 2020, followed by a monthly decrease in the trend of 0.3 per 100,000 (95% CI: -0.74 to 0.14). Lower than expected benzodiazepine dispensing rates were observed each month of the pandemic from April 2020 onward, with relative percent differences ranging from - 7.4% (95% CI: -10.1% to - 4.7%) to -20.9% (95% CI: -23.2% to -18.6%). Results were generally similar in analyses stratified by sex, age, neighbourhood income quintile, and urban versus rural residence. Further research is required to understand the clinical implications of these findings and whether these trends were sustained with further follow-up.

Oral Antibiotics and Risk of Serious Cutaneous Adverse Drug Reactions.

Importance: Serious cutaneous adverse drug reactions (cADRs) are potentially life-threatening drug hypersensitivity reactions involving the skin and internal organs. Antibiotics are a recognized cause of these reactions, but no studies have compared relative risks across antibiotic classes. Objectives: To explore the risk of serious cADRs associated with commonly prescribed oral antibiotics, and to characterize outcomes of patients hospitalized for them. Design, Setting, and Participants: Nested case-control study using population-based linked administrative datasets among adults aged 66 years or older who received at least 1 oral antibiotic between 2002 and 2022 in Ontario, Canada. Cases were those who had an emergency department (ED) visit or hospitalization for serious cADRs within 60 days of the prescription, and each case was matched with up to 4 controls who did not. Exposure: Various classes of oral antibiotics. Main Outcomes and Measures: Conditional logistic regression estimate of the association between different classes of oral antibiotics and serious cADRs, using macrolides as the reference group. Results: During the 20-year study period, we identified 21 758 older adults (median age, 75 years; 64.1% female) who had an ED visit or hospitalization for serious cADRs following antibiotic therapy and 87 025 matched controls who did not. In the primary analysis, sulfonamide antibiotics (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 2.9; 95% CI, 2.7-3.1) and cephalosporins (aOR, 2.6; 95% CI, 2.5-2.8) were most strongly associated with serious cADRs relative to macrolides. Additional associations were evident with nitrofurantoin (aOR, 2.2; 95% CI, 2.1-2.4), penicillins (aOR, 1.4; 95% CI, 1.3-1.5), and fluoroquinolones (aOR, 1.3; 95% CI, 1.2-1.4). The crude rate of ED visits or hospitalization for cADRs was highest for cephalosporins (4.92 per 1000 prescriptions; 95% CI, 4.86-4.99) and sulfonamide antibiotics (3.22 per 1000 prescriptions; 95% CI, 3.15-3.28). Among the 2852 case patients hospitalized for cADRs, the median length of stay was 6 days (IQR, 3-13 days), 9.6% required transfer to a critical care unit, and 5.3% died in the hospital. Conclusion and Relevance: Commonly prescribed oral antibiotics are associated with an increased risk of serious cADRs compared with macrolides, with sulfonamides and cephalosporins carrying the highest risk. Prescribers should preferentially use lower-risk antibiotics when clinically appropriate.

Population-based evaluation of the effectiveness of nirmatrelvir-ritonavir for reducing hospital admissions and mortality from COVID-19.

BACKGROUND: A randomized controlled trial involving a high-risk, unvaccinated population that was conducted before the Omicron variant emerged found that nirmatrelvir-ritonavir was effective in preventing progression to severe COVID-19. Our objective was to evaluate the effectiveness of nirmatrelvir-ritonavir in preventing severe COVID-19 while Omicron and its subvariants predominate. METHODS: We conducted a population-based cohort study in Ontario that included all residents who were older than 17 years of age and had a positive polymerase chain reaction test for SARS-CoV-2 between Apr. 4 and Aug. 31, 2022. We compared patients treated with nirmatrelvir-ritonavir with patients who were not treated and measured the primary outcome of hospital admission from COVID-19 or all-cause death at 1-30 days, and a secondary outcome of all-cause death. We used weighted logistic regression to calculate weighted odds ratios (ORs) with confidence intervals (CIs) using inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) to control for confounding. RESULTS: The final cohort included 177 545 patients, 8876 (5.0%) who were treated with nirmatrelvir-ritonavir and 168 669 (95.0%) who were not treated. The groups were well balanced with respect to demographic and clinical characteristics after applying stabilized IPTW. We found that the occurrence of hospital admission or death was lower in the group given nirmatrelvir-ritonavir than in those who were not (2.1% v. 3.7%; weighted OR 0.56, 95% CI 0.47-0.67). For death alone, the weighted OR was 0.49 (95% CI 0.39-0.62). Our findings were similar across strata of age, drug-drug interactions, vaccination status and comorbidities. The number needed to treat to prevent 1 case of severe COVID-19 was 62 (95% CI 43-80), which varied across strata. INTERPRETATION: Nirmatrelvir-ritonavir was associated with significantly reduced odds of hospital admission and death from COVID-19, which supports use to treat patients with mild COVID-19 who are at risk for severe disease.

Prescription of oxycodone versus codeine after childbirth and risk of persistent opioid use: a population-based cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Oxycodone is increasingly prescribed for postpartum analgesia in lieu of codeine owing to concerns regarding the neonatal safety of codeine during lactation. We examined whether initiation of oxycodone after delivery was associated with an increased risk of persistent opioid use relative to initiation of codeine. METHODS: We conducted a population-based cohort study of people who filled a prescription for either codeine or oxycodone within 7 days of discharge from hospital after delivery between Sept. 1, 2012, and June 30, 2020. The primary outcome was persistent opioid use, defined as 1 or more additional prescriptions for an opioid within 90 days of the first postpartum prescription and 1 or more additional prescriptions in the 91 to 365 days thereafter. We used inverse probability of treatment weighting to assess the risk of persistent postpartum opioid use, comparing people who initiated oxycodone with those who initiated codeine. RESULTS: Over the 8-year study period, we identified 70 607 people who filled an opioid prescription within 7 days of discharge from hospital: 21 308 (30.2%) received codeine and 49 299 (69.8%) oxycodone. Compared with people who filled a prescription for codeine, receipt of oxycodone was not associated with persistent opioid use (relative risk [RR] 1.04, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.91-1.20). We found an association between a prescription for oxycodone and persistent use after vaginal delivery (RR 1.63, 95% CI 1.31-2.03), but not after cesarean delivery (RR 0.85, 95% CI 0.73-1.00). INTERPRETATION: Initiation of oxycodone (v. codeine) was not associated with an increased risk of persistent opioid use, except after vaginal delivery.

Initiation of opioid agonist therapy after hospital visits for opioid poisonings in Ontario.

BACKGROUND: Emergency department visits and hospital admissions for opioid toxicity are opportunities to initiate opioid agonist therapy (OAT), which reduces morbidity and mortality in patients with opioid use disorder (OUD). The study objectives were to evaluate OAT initiation rates after a hospital encounter for opioid toxicity in Ontario, Canada, and determine whether publication of a 2018 Canadian OUD management guideline was associated with increased initiation. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective, population-based serial cross-sectional study of hospital encounters for opioid toxicity among patients with OUD between Jan. 1, 2013, and Mar. 31, 2020, in Ontario, Canada. The primary outcome was OAT initiation (methadone, buprenorphine-naloxone, or slow-release oral morphine) within 7 days of discharge, measured quarterly. We examined the impact of the release of the OUD management guideline on OAT initiation rates using Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average models. RESULTS: Among 20 702 hospital visits for opioid toxicity among patients with OUD, the median age was 35 years, and 65.1% were male. Over the study period, the percentage of visits leading to OAT initiation within 7 days rose from 1.7% or less (Q1 2013) to 5.6% (Q1 2020); however, the publication of the Canadian OUD management guideline was not associated with a significant increase in these rates (0.14% slope change, 95% confidence interval -0.11% to 0.38%; p = 0.3). INTERPRETATION: Among hospital encounters for opioid toxicity, despite rising prevalence over time, only 1 in 18 patients were dispensed OAT within a week of discharge in early 2020. These findings highlight missed opportunities to initiate therapies proven to reduce mortality in patients with OUD.

Accessing hepatitis C direct acting antivirals among people living with hepatitis C: a qualitative study.

BACKGROUND: Hepatitis C is curable with direct-acting antivirals (DAAs). However, treatment uptake remains low among marginalized populations such as people who inject drugs. We sought to understand challenges to treatment uptake with DAAs among people living with hepatitis C and compare treatment experiences between people who do and do not inject prescription and/or unregulated drugs. METHODS: We conducted a qualitative study using focus groups with 23 adults aged 18 years and over who completed DAA treatment or were about to begin such treatment at the time of the study. Participants were recruited from hepatitis C treatment clinics across Toronto, Ontario. We drew upon stigma theory to interpret participants' accounts. RESULTS: Following analysis and interpretation, we generated five theoretically-informed themes characterizing the experiences of individuals accessing DAAs: "being 'worthy' of the cure", "spatially enacted stigma", "countering social and structural vulnerability: the importance of peers", "identity disruption and contagion: attaining a 'social cure'" and "challenging stigma with population-based screening". Overall, our findings suggest that structural stigma generated and reproduced through healthcare encounters limits access to DAAs among people who inject drugs. Peer-based programs and population-based screening were proposed by participants as mechanisms for countering stigma within health care settings and 'normalizing' hepatitis C among the general population. CONCLUSIONS: Despite the availability of curative therapies, access to such treatment for people who inject drugs is limited by stigma enacted in and structured within healthcare encounters. Developing novel, low-threshold delivery programs that remove power differentials and attend to the social and structural determinants of health and reinfection are needed to facilitate further scale up of DAAs and support the goal of eradicating hepatitis C as a public health threat.

Impact of national recommendations for routine pertussis vaccination during pregnancy on infant pertussis in Ontario, Canada: a population-based time-series study.

BACKGROUND: In February 2018, Canada's National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) recommended antenatal tetanus-diphtheria-acellular pertussis (Tdap) immunization in every pregnancy regardless of previous Tdap immunization history. We examined the impact of the NACI recommendation on rates of infant pertussis in Ontario, Canada. METHODS: We conducted a population-based time-series study of all live births in Ontario between August 1, 2011 and February 28, 2020. We used interventional autoregressive integrated moving average models to examine the impact of the NACI recommendation on monthly rates of pertussis among infants ≤ 3 months of age. RESULTS: We observed 675 incident cases of pertussis among 1,368,024 infants 3 months of age or less between August 2011 and February 2020. The average monthly percent change in infant pertussis during the period up to and including publication of the NACI guidance and the period following publication were 0.0% (95% CI: -0.4-0.3%) and - 0.8% (95% CI -2.3% to -0.1%), respectively. Following interventional ARIMA modelling, publication of the NACI guidance was not associated with a statistically significant decrease in the monthly pertussis incidence trend (-0.67 cases per 100,000 infants; p = 0.73). CONCLUSION: Publication of national recommendations for antenatal Tdap immunization in every pregnancy did not significantly reduce infant pertussis rates. This may reflect the persistently low rate of antenatal vaccination following publication of the recommendations. Expanding the scope of practice of allied health care providers to include antenatal Tdap immunization and patient education regarding antenatal pertussis immunization should be considered to further optimize uptake of vaccination.

Impact of a Publicly-Funded Pharmacare Program on Prescription Stimulant use Among Children and Youth: A Population-Based Observational Natural Experiment.

OBJECTIVE: Stimulants are first-line pharmacotherapy for individuals with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. However, disparities in drug coverage may contribute to inequitable treatment access. In January 2018, the government of Ontario, Canada, implemented a publicly-funded program (OHIP+) providing universal access to medications at no cost to children and youth between the ages of 0 and 24. In April 2019, the program was amended to cover only children and youth without private insurance. We studied whether these policy changes were associated with changes in prescription stimulant dispensing to Ontario children and youth. METHODS: We conducted a population-based observational natural experiment study of stimulant dispensing to children and youth in Ontario between January 2013 and March 2020. We used interventional autoregressive integrated moving average models to estimate the association between OHIP+ and its subsequent modification with stimulant dispensing trends. RESULTS: The implementation of OHIP+ was associated with a significant immediate increase in the monthly rate of stimulant dispensing of 53.6 individuals per 100,000 population (95% confidence interval [CI], 36.8 to 70.5 per 100,000) and a 14.2% (95% CI, 12.8% to 15.6%) relative percent increase in stimulant dispensing rates between December 2017 and March 2019 (1198.6 vs. 1368.7 per 100,000 population). The April 2019 OHIP+ program amendment was associated with an increase in monthly stimulant dispensing trends of 10.2 individuals per 100,000 population (95% CI, 5.0 to 15.5), with rates increasing 7.5% (95% CI, 6.2% to 8.7%) between March 2019 and March 2020 (1368.7 vs. 1470.8 per 100,000 population). These associations were most pronounced among males, children and youth living in the highest income neighbourhoods and individuals aged 20 to 24. CONCLUSION: A publicly-funded pharmacare program was associated with more children and youth being dispensed stimulants.

Neonatal outcomes of pregnant women attending integrated and standard substance use treatment programs in Ontario, Canada.

BACKGROUND: Substance use in pregnancy raises concern given its potential teratogenic effects. Given the unique needs of parenting people and the potential impact for developing children, specialized substance use treatment programs are increasingly being implemented for this population. Substance use treatment is associated with more positive neonatal outcomes compared with no treatment, however treatment models vary limiting our understanding of key treatment components/modelsFew studies have explored the influence of treatment model type (i.e., integrated treatments designed for pregnant clients compared with standard treatment models) and no studies have examined the influence of treatment model on neonatal outcomes using Canadian data. METHOD: We conducted a population-based cohort study of clients who were pregnant when initiating integrated (n = 564) and standard (n = 320) substance use treatment programs in Ontario, Canada. RESULTS: Neonatal outcomes did not significantly differ by treatment type (integrated or standard), with rates of adverse neonatal outcomes higher than published rates for the general population, despite receipt of adequate levels of prenatal care. While this suggests no significant impact of treatment, it is notable that as a group, clients engaged in integrated treatment presented with more risk factors for adverse neonatal outcomes than those in standard treatment. While we controlled for these risks in our analyses, this may have obscured their influence in relation to treatment type. CONCLUSION: Findings underscore the need for more nuanced research that considers the influence of client factors in interaction with treatment type. Pregnant clients engaged in any form of substance use treatment are at higher risk of having children who experience adverse neonatal outcomes. This underscores the urgent need for further investment in services and research to support maternal and neonatal health before and during pregnancy, as well as long-term service models that support women and children beyond the perinatal and early childhood periods.

Geographic variation and sociodemographic correlates of prescription psychotropic drug use among children and youth in Ontario, Canada: a population-based study.

BACKGROUND: Population-based research examining geographic variability in psychotropic medication dispensing to children and youth and the sociodemographic correlates of such variation is lacking. Variation in psychotropic use could reflect disparities in access to non-pharmacologic interventions and identify potentially concerning use patterns. METHODS: We conducted a population-based study of all Ontario residents aged 0 to 24 years who were dispensed a benzodiazepine, stimulant, antipsychotic or antidepressant between January 1, 2018, and December 31, 2018. We conducted small-area variation analyses and identified determinants of dispensing using negative binomial generalized estimating equation models. RESULTS: The age- and sex-standardized rate of psychotropic dispensing to children and youth was 76.8 (range 41.7 to 144.4) prescriptions per 1000 population, with large variation in psychotropic dispensing across Ontario's census divisions. Males had higher antipsychotic [rate ratio (RR) 1.40; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.36 to 1.44) and stimulant (RR 1.75; 95% CI 1.70 to 1.80) dispensing rates relative to females, with less use of benzodiazepines (RR 0.85; 95% CI 0.83 to 0.88) and antidepressants (RR 0.81; 95% CI 0.80 to 0.82). Lower antipsychotic dispensing was observed in the highest income neighbourhoods (RR 0.72; 95% CI 0.70 to 0.75) relative to the lowest. Benzodiazepine (RR 1.12; 95% CI 1.01 to 1.24) and stimulant (RR 1.11; 95% CI 1.01 to 1.23) dispensing increased with the density of mental health services in census divisions, whereas antipsychotic use decreased (RR 0.82; 95% CI 0.73 to 0.91). The regional density of child and adolescent psychiatrists and developmental pediatricians (RR 1.00; 95% CI 0.99 to 1.01) was not associated with psychotropic dispensing. CONCLUSION: We found significant variation in psychotropic dispensing among young Ontarians. Targeted investment in regions with long wait times for publicly-funded non-pharmacological interventions and novel collaborative service models may minimize variability and promote best practices in using psychotropics among children and youth.

Use of injections for chronic pain from 2010 to 2019 in Ontario, Canada.

PURPOSE: The management of chronic pain often involves interventional procedures such as injections. Nevertheless, there have been concerns raised regarding the frequency with which these injections are being performed. We conducted a descriptive study to examine trends in the use of pain injections over a ten-year time period in Ontario, Canada. METHODS: We used provincial administrative data to conduct a retrospective observational study of the most common pain injections performed from 2010 to 2019 in Ontario. We determined the frequency of pain injections and their associated physician billings from physician billing data. RESULTS: A total of 18,050,058 pain injections were included in this study with an associated total cost of CAD 865,431,605. There was a threefold increase in the number of blocks performed annually and associated costs, rising from 1,009,324 blocks (CAD 50,026,678) in 2010 to 3,198,679 blocks (CAD 156,809,081) in 2019. The majority of injections were performed by general practioners (70.8%), followed by anesthesiologists (8.3%). CONCLUSION: This descriptive study revealed a rapid increase in the frequency of pain injections performed in Ontario from 2010 to 2019. Given the associated costs and potential risks, this warrants further investigation to ensure that these interventions are being administered appropriately.

RéSUMé: OBJECTIF: La prise en charge de la douleur chronique implique souvent des procédures interventionnelles telles que des injections. Néanmoins, des préoccupations ont été soulevées quant à la fréquence à laquelle ces injections sont administrées. Nous avons réalisé une étude descriptive pour examiner les tendances dans l'utilisation d'injections pour soulager la douleur sur une période de dix ans en Ontario, au Canada. MéTHODE: Nous avons utilisé les données administratives provinciales pour réaliser une étude observationnelle rétrospective des injections pour soulager la douleur les plus courantes effectuées de 2010 à 2019 en Ontario. Nous avons déterminé la fréquence des injections pour soulager la douleur et les facturations des médecins associées à partir des données de facturation des médecins. RéSULTATS: Au total, 18 050 058 injections pour soulager la douleur ont été incluses dans cette étude, avec un coût total associé de 865 431 605 CAD. Le nombre de blocs exécutés chaque année et les coûts associés ont triplé, passant de 1 009 324 blocs (50 026 678 CAD) en 2010 à 3 198 679 blocs (156 809 081 CAD) en 2019. La majorité des injections ont été administrées par des médecins généralistes (70,8 %), suivis par des anesthésiologistes (8,3 %). CONCLUSION: Cette étude descriptive a révélé une augmentation rapide de la fréquence des injections pour soulager la douleur et administrées en Ontario de 2010 à 2019. Compte tenu des coûts associés et des risques potentiels, cela justifie une enquête plus approfondie pour s'assurer que ces interventions sont administrées de manière appropriée.

Interventional pain blocks in Ontario: a population-based cross-sectional study on 2019 procedural volumes, clustering, and physician billings.

PURPOSE: Multidisciplinary chronic pain management includes pharmacologic, psychological, and interventional strategies. In Canada, the use of interventional pain blocks (PBs) has increased in recent years. We sought to determine the distribution and clustering of PBs among physicians in Ontario, and to examine differences in the patient and physician characteristics by volume of PBs administered. METHODS: We conducted a population-based cross-sectional study of PBs administered for chronic pain to Ontario residents between 1 January and 31 December 2019. Our primary outcome was the total number of PBs administered in an outpatient setting for chronic pain by eligible physicians. We used Lorenz curves, overall and stratified by PB type and physician specialty, to examine clustering of PBs among physicians, and compared patient and physician characteristics using standardized differences. RESULTS: Among physicians who provided PBs, provision was highly clustered, with the top 1% of physicians providing 39% of blocks. In these high-volume PB providers, the majority of whom were general practitioners (88.4%), PBs made up the vast majority (median [interquartile range (IQR)], 87% [84-89]) of their billings, with the majority of the patients in their practices (63.0%) receiving at least one PB in 2019. Patients who received a PB from a high-volume provider had a higher annual frequency of visit for PBs (median [IQR], 10 [3-23]) and number of PBs administered per visit (median [IQR], 5 [4-6]). CONCLUSION: Pain block administration is highly clustered in Ontario, with many patients receiving PBs in ways that are not supported by best evidence. Further research is required to determine whether the Ontario fee-for-service model of billing has created a suboptimal use of these health care resources.

RéSUMé: OBJECTIF: La prise en charge multidisciplinaire de la douleur chronique comprend des stratégies pharmacologiques, psychologiques et interventionnelles. Au Canada, l'utilisation de blocs interventionnels pour la douleur (PB pour 'pain block') a augmenté au cours des dernières années. Nous avons cherché à déterminer la répartition et le regroupement des PB parmi les médecins en Ontario, et à examiner les différences dans les caractéristiques de la patientèle et des médecins selon le volume de blocs administrés. MéTHODE: Nous avons mené une étude transversale basée sur la population des PB administrés pour traiter la douleur chronique aux personnes résidant en Ontario entre le 1er janvier et le 31 décembre 2019. Notre critère d'évaluation principal était le nombre total de blocs pour la douleur administrés en ambulatoire pour la douleur chronique par des médecins éligibles. Nous avons utilisé les courbes de Lorenz, globalement et stratifiées par type de blocs pour la douleur et par spécialité médicale, pour examiner le regroupement des PB parmi les médecins, et comparé les caractéristiques de la patientèle et des médecins en utilisant des différences standardisées. RéSULTATS: Parmi les médecins qui réalisaient des PB, l'offre était fortement regroupée, le 1 % supérieur des médecins réalisant 39 % des blocs. Parmi ces médecins réalisant un volume élevé de PB, dont la majorité étaient des médecins généralistes (88,4 %), les PB représentaient la grande majorité ([écart interquartile (ÉIQ)] médian, 87 % [84-89]) de leur facturation, la majorité (63,0 %) des patient·es de leur cabinet recevant au moins un bloc pour la douleur en 2019. Les patient·es qui ont reçu un PB d'un prestataire à volume élevé avaient une fréquence annuelle de visite plus élevée pour les PB (médiane [ÉIQ], 10 [3-23]) et un nombre plus élevé de PB administrés par visite (médiane [ÉIQ], 5 [4-6]). CONCLUSION: L'administration de blocs pour la douleur est fortement concentrée en Ontario, bon nombre de patient·es recevant des PB d'une manière qui n'est pas appuyée par les meilleures données probantes. D'autres recherches sont nécessaires pour déterminer si le modèle de facturation à l'acte de l'Ontario a créé une utilisation sous-optimale de ces ressources en soins de santé.

Impact of a publicly-funded pharmacare program policy on benzodiazepine dispensing among children and youth: a population-based natural experiment.

BACKGROUND: In January 2018, the Government of Ontario, Canada, initiated a universal pharmacare program (OHIP+) for all individuals aged 24 years and younger. In April 2019, the program was amended to cover only children and youth without private insurance. Because benzodiazepines are commonly prescribed to children and youth despite their potential hazards, we examined whether changes in publicly-funded drug coverage influenced benzodiazepine dispensing trends in this demographic. METHODS: We conducted a population-based natural experiment study of benzodiazepine dispensing to children and youth in Ontario between January 2013 and March 2020. We used interventional autoregressive integrated moving average models to estimate the impact of OHIP + and its subsequent modification on these trends. RESULTS: The implementation of OHIP + was associated with an immediate increase in the monthly rate of benzodiazepine dispensing of 12.9 individuals per 100,000 population (95% confidence interval [CI]; 7.5 to 18.3 per 100,000). Benzodiazepine dispensing rates rose from 214.2 to 241.5 per 100,000 from December 2017 to March 2019, a 12.8% (95% CI 9.6-16.0%) increase. In stratified analyses, increases were most pronounced among females, children and youth living in the lowest income neighbourhoods and individuals aged 20 to 24. The April 2019 modification to OHIP + was not associated with changes in monthly benzodiazepine dispensing trends (0.39 individuals per 100,000; 95% CI -1.3 to 2.1 per 100,000). However, rates remained elevated relative to the period preceding OHIP + implementation. CONCLUSIONS: Implementation of a publicly-funded pharmacare program resulted in more children and youth being prescribed benzodiazepines.

Experiences and Outcomes of Using e-Prescribing for Opioids: Rapid Scoping Review.

BACKGROUND: e-Prescribing is designed to assist in facilitating safe and appropriate prescriptions for patients. Currently, it is unknown to what extent e-prescribing for opioids influences experiences and outcomes. To address this gap, a rapid scoping review was conducted. OBJECTIVE: This rapid scoping review aims to (1) explore how e-prescribing has been used clinically; (2) examine the effects of e-prescribing on clinical outcomes, the patient or clinician experience, service delivery, and policy; and (3) identify current gaps in the present literature to inform future studies and recommendations. METHODS: A rapid scoping review was conducted following the guidance of the JBI 2020 scoping review methodology and the World Health Organization guide to rapid reviews. A comprehensive literature search was completed by an expert librarian from inception until November 16, 2022. Three databases were electronically searched: MEDLINE (Ovid), Embase (Ovid), and Scopus (Elsevier). The search criteria were as follows: (1) e-prescribing programs targeted to the use or misuse of opioids, including those that were complemented or accompanied by clinically focused initiatives, and (2) a primary research study of experimental, quasi-experimental, observational, qualitative, or mixed methods design. An additional criterion of an ambulatory component of e-prescribing (eg, e-prescribing occurred upon discharge from acute care) was added at the full-text stage. No language limitations or filters were applied. All articles were double screened by trained reviewers. Gray literature was manually searched by a single reviewer. Data were synthesized using a descriptive approach. RESULTS: Upon completing screening, 34 articles met the inclusion criteria: 32 (94%) peer-reviewed studies and 2 (6%) gray literature documents (1 thesis study and 1 report). All 33 studies had a quantitative component, with most highlighting e-prescribing from acute care settings to community settings (n=12, 36%). Only 1 (3%) of the 34 articles provided evidence on e-prescribing in a primary care setting. Minimal prescriber, pharmacist, and clinical population characteristics were reported. The main outcomes identified were related to opioid prescribing rates, alerts (eg, adverse drug events and drug-drug interactions), the quantity and duration of opioid prescriptions, the adoption of e-prescribing technology, attitudes toward e-prescribing, and potential challenges with the implementation of e-prescribing into clinical practice. e-Prescribing, including key features such as alerts and dose order sets, may reduce prescribing errors. CONCLUSIONS: This rapid scoping review highlights initial promising results with e-prescribing and opioid therapy management. It is important that future work explores the experience of prescribers, pharmacists, and patients using e-prescribing for opioid therapy management with an emphasis on prescribers in the community and primary care. Developing a common set of quality indicators for e-prescribing of opioids will help build a stronger evidence base. Understanding implementation considerations will be of importance as the technology is integrated into clinical practice and health systems.

Outpatient purchasing patterns of hydroxychloroquine and ivermectin in the USA and Canada during the COVID-19 pandemic: an interrupted time series analysis from 2016 to 2021.

BACKGROUND: Hydroxychloroquine and ivermectin received widespread attention after initial studies suggested that they were effective against COVID-19. However, several of these studies were later discredited. OBJECTIVES: We explored the impact of scientific articles, public announcements and social media posts on hydroxychloroquine and ivermectin purchases in the USA and Canada during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective, population-based time series analysis of retail hydroxychloroquine and ivermectin purchases in the USA and Canada from February 2016 through to December 2021, using IQVIA's Multinational Integrated Data Analysis database. We fitted the purchasing rates with interventional autoregressive integrated moving average models. We used Google Trends to identify the most influential interventions to include in the models. RESULTS: There were significant pulse increases in hydroxychloroquine purchases in March 2020 in both the USA (P < 0.0001) and Canada (P < 0.0001). For ivermectin, there were no significant changes in April 2020 in either the USA (P = 0.41) or Canada (P = 0.16); however, significant pulse increases occurred from December 2020 to January 2021 in both the USA (P = 0.0006) and Canada (P < 0.0001), as well as significant ramp increases from April to August 2021 in both the USA (P < 0.0001) and Canada (P = 0.02). The increases in ivermectin purchases were larger in the USA than in Canada. CONCLUSIONS: Increases in hydroxychloroquine and ivermectin purchasing rates aligned with controversial scientific articles and social media posts. This highlights the importance of scientific integrity and disseminating accurate epidemiologic information during pandemics.

Validation of Self-reported Opioid Agonist Treatment Among People Who Inject Drugs Using Prescription Dispensation Records.

BACKGROUND: Studies of people who inject drugs (PWID) commonly use questionnaires to determine whether participants are currently, or have recently been, on opioid agonist treatment for opioid use disorder. However, these previously unvalidated self-reported treatment measures may be susceptible to inaccurate reporting. METHODS: We linked baseline questionnaire data from 521 PWID in the Ontario integrated Supervised Injection Services cohort in Toronto (November 2018-March 2020) with record-level health administrative data. We assessed the validity (sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive value [PPV and NPV]) of self-reported recent (in the past 6 months) and current (as of interview) opioid agonist treatment with methadone or buprenorphine-naloxone relative to prescription dispensation records from a provincial narcotics monitoring system, considered the reference standard. RESULTS: For self-reported recent opioid agonist treatment, sensitivity was 78% (95% CI = 72, 83), specificity was 90% (95% CI = 86, 94), PPV was 90% (95% CI = 85, 93), and NPV was 79% (95% CI = 74, 84). For self-reported current opioid agonist treatment, sensitivity was 84% (95% CI = 78, 90), specificity was 87% (95% CI = 83, 91), PPV was 74% (95% CI = 67, 81), and NPV was 93% (95% CI = 89, 95). CONCLUSIONS: Self-reported opioid agonist treatment measures were fairly accurate among PWID, with some exceptions. Inaccurate recall due to a lengthy lookback window may explain underreporting of recent treatment, whereas social desirability bias may have led to overreporting of current treatment. These validation data could be used in future studies of PWID to adjust for misclassification in similar self-reported treatment measures.