An Ontario government agency is urging the province's doctors to be mindful of prescription strength and length when putting patients on a new course of opioids. The report found slight declines in the number of doctors prescribing opioids at high doses as well as the number issuingprescriptions for longer than seven days. It says Canada has the world's second-highest opioid prescription rate behind the United States and doctors should be more open to considering alternative treatments whenever appropriate. 'We know that most people that become addicted to opioids start out using prescription opioids.' "And we know that most people that become addicted to opioids start out using prescription opioids."

Source: CBC News January 25, 2018 09:56 UTC