too high. Gomes said that regular clinic visits and urine screenings have a proven benefit at the start of addiction treatment, but there is no evidence that continued regular visits and screenings lead to reduced drug use. She fears that enforcing office visits and weekly urine tests could lead to a lower likelihood of patients continuing treatment.
The researchers want to see a wider spread of doctors prescribing the treatment drugs and giving better treatment access to those battling opioid addictions.
They believe the move would improve patient experiences and ensure they always have access to the treatment they need, which will be beneficial in the opioid epidemic fight.
“Expanding the scope of physicians providing these services across Ontario – including in rural and remote regions – could help improve long-term outcomes of treatment. Better coordination of primary care and addiction treatment could help improve the quality of care that patients are receiving to make sure that they are being adequately treated for both their addiction and other health issues that they may be grappling with,” Gomes concluded.
