Despite the increasing numbers of opioid-related deaths and the growing prevalence of opioid addiction, the total number of prescriptions filled in Ontario continues to rise.
Titled, 9 Million Prescriptions, this Health Quality Ontario report shows that:
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People in Ontario filled more than 9 million prescriptions for opioids in 2015/16, up by nearly 450,000 prescriptions from three years earlier.
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More people in Ontario are being prescribed stronger opioids. For example, the number of people who filled a prescription for hydromorphone – which is approximately five times stronger than morphine – increased by nearly 30% over three years, to almost 259,000 people, from just over 200,000.
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Nearly two million people in Ontario fill prescriptions for opioids every year -- translating into one in every seven Ontarians, or 14% of the province’s population.
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If you have a question about this report, email SystemPerformance@HQOntario.ca.