COVID-19 has created innumerable challenges for primary care providers. For most of us, delivering health care during the pandemic has meant adapting to new technology and a constant state of uncertainty about our capacity to make the right treatment decisions. Supporting our patients through their struggles with mental health has never been more important. The potential challenges of managing financial worries, unemployment...

It is an unfortunate reality that some clinicians experience an unsettled feeling towards patients suspected to be struggling with opioid use. Many of us haven’t received much in the way of formal training in managing any addictions. We may be afraid of the complexity involved in managing patients with substance use issues. If we’re honest, we might also acknowledge biases towards people with substance use...

You’ve heard the news – Canada is in the midst a public health crisis. A recent report from the Public Health Agency of Canada found that 3,987 Canadians lost their lives due to a suspected opioid overdose in 2017 alone 1 . That same report found that 726 Ontarians accidentally lost their lives in apparent opioid overdose in 2016, which increased to 1,125 in 2017 - an increase of almost 55% . These statistics...