At-a-glance - Opioid surveillance: monitoring and responding to the evolving crisis

• Main Authors: Kahina Abdesselam, Matthew James Dann, Ramona Alwis, Julie Laroche, Samuel Ileka-Priouzeau
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Public Health Agency of Canada 2018-09-01
• Series: Health Promotion and Chronic Disease Prevention in Canada
• Subjects: opioid, fentanyl, surveillance, national trends, drug misuse
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.24095/hpcdp.38.9.02

The incidence of opioid-related overdoses is increasing at an alarming pace, largely driven by the increased use of fentanyl and its analogues. The need for sound and reliable sources of data on opioid use is crucial in order to make decisions on implementing efficient interventions, and develop appropriate policies and guidelines to mitigate the burden of opioid use. This article highlights initiatives undertaken by federal partners to address the opioid crisis in Canada. The need for novel surveillance approaches that improve the collection and harmonization of drug-related data is also discussed.