TORONTO, May 29, 2017 /CNW/ - Medical experts and public health officials in Canada are concerned about the abuse of prescription opioids. Available evidence suggests the abuse of prescription opioids is partly facilitated by users who modify the drug product. Abuse deterrent formulations exist for some products but have not been mandatory for all prescription opioids. A study published by the Canadian Health Policy Institute (CHPI) estimates that if all prescription opioids in Canada were abuse deterrent formulations, societal costs could be substantially reduced.
The study estimated that the economic value of the health, social and productivity losses associated with the abuse of prescription opioids in Canada could have averaged as much as $4.3 billion per year during the four-year period from 2012 to 2015. The study also reviewed clinical research showing that existing abuse deterrent formulations ranged from 3.3% to 98.8% effective at reducing abuse rates of the tested products. The median effectiveness reducing abuse rates by between 45.1% and 64%.
The study concluded that if the federal government mandated abuse deterrent formulations for all prescription opioids, it would discourage non-medical use of these drugs, reducing associated societal costs by an estimated range of savings between $140 million and $4 billion annually.
Get the Study
The study, Societal cost savings from abuse deterrent formulations for prescription opioids in Canada, is available online at: www.canadianhealthpolicy.com.
About CHPI
Canadian Health Policy Institute (CHPI) is an independent think-tank dedicated to providing information and ideas for a better health system.
Follow CHPI
Follow @CHPI1 on Twitter.
SOURCE Canadian Health Policy Institute
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The study estimated that the economic value of the health, social and productivity losses associated with the abuse of prescription opioids in Canada could have averaged as much as $4.3 billion per year during the four-year period from 2012 to 2015. The study also reviewed clinical research showing that existing abuse deterrent formulations ranged from 3.3% to 98.8% effective at reducing abuse rates of the tested products. The median effectiveness reducing abuse rates by between 45.1% and 64%.
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The study concluded that if the federal government mandated abuse deterrent formulations for all prescription opioids, it would discourage non-medical use of these drugs, reducing associated societal costs by an estimated range of savings between $140 million and $4 billion annually.
Get the Study
The study, Societal cost savings from abuse deterrent formulations for prescription opioids in Canada, is available online at: www.canadianhealthpolicy.com.
About CHPI
Canadian Health Policy Institute (CHPI) is an independent think-tank dedicated to providing information and ideas for a better health system.
Follow CHPI
Follow @CHPI1 on Twitter.
SOURCE Canadian Health Policy Institute
