Prescribing Oxycodone in Nova Scotia

Experts with the province's Prescription Monitoring Program say a slight increase in the number of Oxycodone prescriptions in Nova Scotia in 2003 over the previous year points to better pain management care.

"Continued growth in this area of medications is expected in future years as well," said Coleen Conway, manager of the monitoring program. "Medical professionals have been learning more about pain management and providing better care for people who experience disease related, chronic, and severe pain."

The Department of Health released 2003 data today, April 23, gathered by the Prescription Monitoring Program through a triplicate prescription process. This process tracks the number of prescriptions, and does not track diagnosis.

Ms. Conway said that while data indicates an increase in the use of Oxycodone, it does not explain specific reasons for such an increase.

"The incidence of disease, the aging population, physician preference, and growing awareness of pain management options are all factors in prescription patterns," she said. "But, we can only speculate about which of those factors are having the greatest influence."

Ms. Conway cautioned Nova Scotians against attributing an increase in the use of pain medications to over-prescribing by doctors.

The data includes the number of patients and aggregate information about prescriptions written for Oxycodone across the province in 2003.

During a meeting this week, Ms. Conway shared the data and explained the role of the monitoring program to members of the community partnership that is looking into the rising issue of prescription drug abuse in Cape Breton.

The 2003 statistics are available on the department website at www.gov.ns.ca/health/reports.htm

The data comparing 2003 with 2002 statistics shows:

• The number of Nova Scotians who received at least one prescription of Oxycodone grew by 27 per cent, or 471 patients, to 2,197 in 2003. Provincially and in each health district, this remains less than one per cent of residents who received this medication;
• In line with the increase in the number of patients, the total number of Oxycodone prescriptions written for Nova Scotians grew by 35 per cent to 11,313 prescriptions in 2003 from 8,410 in 2002;
• The average number of Oxycodone prescriptions per patient remained consistent;
• The average number of milligrams prescribed per patient in a year has remained largely consistent, with an increase of two per cent. Cape Breton grew at the provincial average of two per cent;
• The Capital Health District and Cape Breton Health District remain the areas with the most prescriptions written and the largest number of patients receiving prescriptions for Oxycodone. These areas also have the largest populations.

Oxycodone is an effective pain medication when used as directed. It was introduced to the Canadian market about 10 years ago. It is one of about 590 medications tracked by the Prescription Monitoring Program through a triplicate prescription process.