Opioids
Narcotics, or opioids, are often used to treat pain, including pain associated with work injuries. Yet, abuse of these painkillers has resulted in such a large increase in hospitalizations and deaths that the situation is called an “opioid epidemic.” IWH research looks at optimal opioid prescribing practices for physicians, as well as the use and effects of opioids related to the treatment of work-related injuries in particular.
Featured
At Work article
IWH study finds 7 in 10 injured workers still experience pain more than a year after injury
A high proportion of injured workers in Ontario experience persistent pain for well over a year after their work-related injury. According to an IWH study of workers' compensation lost-time claimants, 70 per cent of workers experience pain 18 months after their work injury.
Published: September 30, 2022
Journal article
Journal article
Early prescription opioid use for musculoskeletal disorders and work outcomes: a systematic review of the literature
Published: Clinical Journal of Pain, July 2017
Project
Project
Central nervous system agents and the risk of workplace injury and death: a systematic review
IWH is leading a systematic review to determine the level and quality of research evidence on the association between workers’ use of agents that act on the central nervous system (e.g. opioids, cannabis) and the risk of workplace injury, reinjury, near misses and death, including outcomes affecting co-workers and others in the immediate workplace.
Status: Completed 2019
Impact case study
WSIB narcotics strategy reducing harm and spending
IWH opioid and chronic pain expert, Dr. Andrea Furlan, helps shape new rules in her role on drug advisory committee.
Published: December 2014
Project
Project
Strategies to support the appropriate use of prescription opioids: a systematic review
IWH led a multi-partner team in a systematic review that sought to answer this question: What are the existing strategies, frameworks, collaborative networks and materials that promote the appropriate use of prescription opioids and/or to reduce the abuse of these drugs?
Status: Completed 2017
Impact case study
IWH expertise key to opioid guideline, tool development
Work on Canadian opioid guideline in turn leads to development of opioid management tool and helps launch IWH scientist's profile as opioid expert.
Published: July 2012
At Work article
At Work article
The "watchful dose": Supporting doctors in the effort to reduce the harms of opioid prescribing
An associate scientist from the Institute for Work & Health (IWH) led the creation of the innovative and easy-to-use Opioid Manager. It is designed to help doctors facilitate safe opioid use among patients seeking relief from chronic non-cancer pain, including those recovering from work injuries.
Published: August 2011
Project
Project
Understanding the use and impact of early opioid prescriptions for work-related low-back pain
Do opioids prescribed in the early weeks of a new workers’ compensation lost-time claim for low-back pain result in prolonged work disability? This was one of the questions asked by an IWH research team looking at the opioid prescription patterns with respect to low-back pain.
Status: Completed 2017
At Work article
At Work article
New Canadian guideline released on opioid use for chronic non-cancer pain
A new evidence-based Canadian Guideline for Safe and Effective Use of Opioids for Chronic Non-cancer pain was released in May.
Published: July 2010