Lack of comparable opioid overdose stats across Canada hinders response: experts
VANCOUVER — Hundreds have died across the country, but the true magnitude of Canada’s surging opioid crisis remains unknown because of the “hodgepodge” of different methods provinces use to track overdoses, experts say.
There is no standardized, countrywide protocol for how overdoses are categorized, nor is there a consistent timeline for reporting, which experts say makes it all but impossible to come up with an accurate pan-Canadian snapshot.
They say the lack of comparable, timely data from across the country seriously restricts policy makers, academics and service providers from understanding the problem, designing effective responses and assessing the success of these interventions.
Government officials, medical experts and those with first-hand experience of drug dependence are gathering in Ottawa on Friday for a two-day summit aimed at discussing how to address the opioid problem.