Table 4.
Changes in practice due to the 2017 Canadian opioid guideline.
| New practice behaviors (n = 590), n (%)1 | |
| Engaged some legacy patients in opioid tapering | 301 (51%) |
| Reduced the number of new starts of opioids for chronic noncancer pain | 254 (43%) |
| Reduced the number of pills dispensed at one time, for opioid prescriptions | 215 (36%) |
| Reduced the dose of opioids for new starts | 191 (32%) |
| Avoid prescribing opioids for chronic noncancer pain patients with an active substance use disorder | 161 (27%) |
| Avoid prescribing opioids for chronic noncancer pain patients who also have an active psychiatric disorder, aside from substance use disorder | 102 (17%) |
| Avoid prescribing opioids for specific patients with chronic noncancer pain based on criteria other than having an active substance use disorder or an active psychiatric disorder | 96 (16%) |
| Avoid prescribing opioids for any chronic noncancer pain patients | 46 (8%) |
| Prescribe opioids to more patients with chronic noncancer pain | 5 (1%) |
1Percentages add up to >100% as respondents could endorse more than one option.