Opioid dependency advice line boosts care options

CALGARY – Primary care physicians and nurse practitioners (NPs) caring for patients with opioid dependency will soon have access to expert consultation through a new advice phone service.

Beginning Aug. 8, physicians and prescribers in Alberta can consult with an opioid dependence specialist on call for advice regarding prescribing drugs such as buprenorphine/naloxone (suboxone), methadone or naloxone, as well as treating patients with existing opioid dependency.

“Primary care physicians without experience treating this group of patients often face challenges and require additional guidance. As a result, patients are typically referred to emergency departments or special clinics rather than receiving care with their family doctor,” says Dr. Michael Trew, Medical Lead, Addiction and Mental Health Special Projects with Alberta Health Services (AHS).

“This is great news not only for physicians but also patients with opiate dependency.”

This consultation service will be piloted for seven months through February 2018 and will be operated by AHS’ Referral, Access, Advice, Placement, Information & Destination (RAAPID) team. Callers will receive a followup call as soon as possible from one of the four physicians working at the Edmonton and Calgary Opioid Dependency Program clinics.

“Making sure Albertans have access to opioid dependency treatment is a key part of the Alberta government’s response to the opioid crisis,” says Sarah Hoffman, Minister of Health. “The pilot is aimed to support physicians so they can provide opioid dependency treatment for more patients right in their communities. This action will help reduce barriers to treatment that we know saves lives.”

Dr. Ronald Lim, Medical Lead for AHS Calgary Opioid Dependency Program, adds this resource means patients with opioid use disorder will be able to attend their community physician’s office for opioid use disorder management.

“This will improve access for opioid agonist therapy and overall care because they can have all their co-occurring medical problems managed in one site,” says Dr. Lim. Opiate agonist therapy refers to the treatment of addiction to opioid drugs; an agonist is a drug that activates certain receptors in the brain.

Opioid dependence is a growing clinical and public health problem, particularly in Alberta. The United Nations indicates that Canada has the leading per capita use of prescription opioids in the world and that rates of addiction and overdose are correspondingly high. Opioids include traditional opiates such as heroin, morphine, fentanyl and oxycodone, along with synthetic opiates such as methadone.

To help manage the needs of this growing patient population, AHS has teamed up with Alberta Health, the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Alberta (CPSA), and the College of Family Physicians Canada (CFPC) to increase the number of community-based primary care physicians who are trained to prescribe opiate agonist therapy and to manage the care of their patients with this dependency.

“With the right preparation and supports, opioid use disorder can be as straightforward to treat as other chronic diseases, such as diabetes or hypertension,” says Dr. Bonnie Larson, a family physician at the Calgary Urban Projects Society (CUPS).

“The outcomes can be dramatic, with individuals moving from chaos to stability, illness to health, quite quickly. It is an extremely rewarding aspect of my practice.”

For more information, please visit ahs.ca/opioidadvice.

Alberta Health Services is the provincial health authority responsible for planning and delivering health supports and services for more than four million adults and children living in Alberta. Its mission is to provide a patient-focused, quality health system that is accessible and sustainable for all Albertans.

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