The importance of chronic pain management and research highlighted at Opioid Symposium held in Toronto, Ontario

by Dr. Christine T. Chambers, PhD RPsych

On September 5th and 6th 2018, the Government of Canada (Health Canada), in partnership with the Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction and CAMH: Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, hosted a 2-day Opioid Symposium: “Together, We can #StopOverdoses”. Objectives of the meeting were to:

a) Place the voices of people with lived and living experience at the centre of the discussion;

b) Promote increased access to treatment and harm reduction; and

c) Recognize the different aspects of the opioid crisis and discuss opportunities for collaboration.

The meeting opened with comments from the Federal Minister of Health, the Honourable Ginette Pettipas Taylor, and a powerful presentation by Dr. Theresa Tam, Canada’s Chief Public Health Officer, who indicated that the opioid crisis is the greatest public health issue Canada has faced since HIV. A variety of panel discussions, concurrent sessions, and presentations offered diverse perspectives on topics such as factors leading to substance use, addressing stigma, the role of the media, and barriers to care.

Of note, the needs of those living with chronic pain and the importance of chronic pain management and research, were prominently featured in the 2-day program. Presentations included a session on “Unintended consequences: The impact of the opioid response on people living with chronic pain” and “Barriers to Treating Chronic Pain” featuring various stakeholder (patient, clinician, researcher) perspectives from organizations such as Pain BC, the CIHR-funded Chronic Pain SPOR Network, The Canadian Arthritis Patient Alliance, and AQDC: the Association québécoise de le douleur chronique.

On September 4th, the evening before the Opioid Symposium, a small roundtable discussion targeting the issue of chronic pain was held with Minister Petitpas Taylor and senior health officials. The discussion, moderated by Suzy McDonald, Assistant Deputy Minister, from the Opioid Response Team,  involved people living with chronic pain as well as clinicians and researchers who work in the area. Each participant was asked to speak for 2 to 3 minutes and share perspectives on: eliminating stigma, removing barriers to treatment, better access to non-pharmacological and integrated pain management services, supporting research efforts and better national coordination.

Following the Opioid Symposium and roundtable, Health Canada made a commitment to continue working with the chronic pain community, so that our perspectives are reflected in the federal response to the current national public health crisis. In closing remarks, the Honourable Ginette Pettipas Taylor, indicated that they will be looking at options to establish a task force collaborating with the chronic pain community and other stakeholders for a path forward. Two IMHA IAB members (Christine Chambers & Dawn Richards) spoke at the roundtable event and participated in the Opioid Symposium.

Date modified:

2019-03-28