TABLE 2.
Profile of opioid dispensations dispensed to the end-of-life cancer study population that was linked to the Nova Scotia Prescription Monitoring Program from 2005–2009.
| n (%) | |
|---|---|
| Total opioid prescriptions | 41,222 (100) |
| Prescriber Type | |
| General Practitioner | 36,542 (89) |
| Specialist | 4,680 (11) |
| Opioid Formulation | |
| Immediate-release | 27,316 (66) |
| Tablets or Capsules | 22,101 (54) |
| Parenteral formulations | 3,650 (9) |
| Oral Solutions | 1,474 (4) |
| Syrups | 1,456 (4) |
| Elixirs | 18 (<1) |
| Powders | 86 (<1) |
| Suppositories | 5 (<1) |
| Modified-release | 13,747 (33) |
| Tablets or Capsules | 11,088 (27) |
| Patches | 2,516 (6) |
| Discs | 143 (<1) |
| Miscellaneous a | 159 (<1) |
| Type of Opioid | |
| Strong Opioids | 33,193 (81) |
| Hydromorphone | 20,927 (51) |
| Morphine | 7,956 (19) |
| Fentanyl | 2,659 (6) |
| Oxycodone | 1,651 (4) |
| Weak Opioids | 6,855 (17) |
| Acetaminophen/Opioid Combination | 5,953 (14) |
| Acetylsalicylic Acid/Opioid Combination | 9 (<1) |
| Codeine | 893 (2) |
| Other | 1,174 (3) |
| Methadone | 823 (2) |
| Meperidine | 241 (1) |
| Pentazocine | 67 (<1) |
| Dextropropoxyphene | 43 (<1) |
| Buprenorphine | 0 (0) |
a
Compounds.