Health care providers play a key role in addressing Canada’s opioid use crisis. Opioid Agonist Therapy: A Prescriber’s Guide to Treatment is a comprehensive, practical resource that supports the work of physicians and nurse practitioners who prescribe medication to treat opioid use disorder.
This updated guide reflects the latest evidence and practices that have evolved since the previous edition was published in 2011—before buprenorphine and other pharmacological options became available to meet the varying needs of people with opioid use disorder.
This guide is relevant to both practitioners working in primary care and those who focus on addiction medicine. With contributions from more than 50 experts across Canada, it provides essential information on opioid agonist therapy (OAT), such as:
- prescribing and administering methadone, buprenorphine, slow-release oral morphine and injectable OAT (diacetylmorphine and hydromorphone)
- safety considerations and drug interactions
- take-home dosing
- urine drug testing
- continuity of care with hospitalized or incarcerated OAT patients
- OAT with specific populations and conditions (pregnancy, chronic pain, psychiatric disorders, HIV and hepatitis C, Indigenous people, youth, older adults).
Visit the CAMH Store to order this new book.
Download the PDF of the promotional flyer for a print version of the table of contents.
About the Editors
Peter Selby, MBBS, CCFP, FCFP, MHSc, DFASAM, Senior medical consultant and clinician scientist, Addictions, CAMH; director, Mental Health and Addictions Division, Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of Toronto
Launette Rieb, MD, MSc, CCFP (AM), FCFP, CCSAM, DipABAM, FASAM, Pain and addiction medicine consultant, Actum Health, Surrey, BC; and Rapid Access Addictions Clinic, St. Paul’s Hospital, Vancouver
Vincent Lam, MD, CCFP (AM), Medical director, Coderix Medical Clinic, Toronto; lecturer, Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of Toronto
Maria Zhang, RPh, BScPhm, PharmD, MSc, Advanced practice clinical leader (Pharmacy), CAMH; clinician educator, Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Toronto
Jonathan Bertram, MD, CCFP (AM), Addictions physician, CAMH; addictions and pain physician, Clarington Family Health Organization
Canada is in the midst of an opioid crisis, making it important to disseminate standardized approaches and evidence-based recommendations for managing opioid use disorder.