Find information on opioid guidelines for health professionals

Opioid and Substitution Therapy

Yukon Guide to the Management of Opioid Use Disorder (May 2019) - This guide aims to ensure consistent practice among health care providers across clinical settings in Yukon. It is adapted from the BC Guideline for the Clinical Management of Opioid Use Disorder (June 2017) and aligns with the CRISM National Guideline for the Clinical Management of Opioid Use Disorder (March 2018).

Suboxone Quick Reference (May 2019) - This two page infographic for prescribing Suboxone complements the Yukon Guide for the Management of Opioid Use Disorder.

Provincial Opioid Addiction Treatment Support Program (BC Centre on Substance Use)- Free, online, CME-accredited training geared towards opioid agonist treatment prescribers (both physicians and nurse practitioners).  However, all health care providers (e.g., nurses, pharmacists, social worker, counsellors, etc.) can benefit from the online education modules. This program is required to receive a methadone exemption. BCCSU also offers the Online Addiction Medicine Diploma.

Guideline for opioid therapy and chronic non-cancer pain (May 2017) - These guidelines were developed by a team at McMaster University. They recommend optimizing nonopioid pharmacotherapy and nonpharmacologic therapy for patients with chronic noncancer pain.

Standards of practice

These standards from the Yukon Medical Council are the minimum standards of professional behaviour and ethical conduct expected of all physicians registered in the Yukon.

YMC Standards of Practice for opioids 

YMC Safe Prescribing of Drugs with Potential for Misuse/Diversion

Informing Canada’s Response to the Opioid Crisis — An Update from CADTH (Updated: September 18, 2017)

CADTH Opioid Evidence Bundle Suboxone

Buprenorphine/Naloxone Versus Methadone for the Treatment of Opioid Dependence: A Review of Comparative Clinical Effectiveness, Cost-Effectiveness and Guidelines (Peer-Reviewed Summary With Critical Appraisal, September 2016)

Buprenorphine for Chronic Pain: A Review of the Clinical Effectiveness (Summary With Critical Appraisal, January 2017

Crushed Buprenorphine or Buprenorphine-Naloxone for Opioid Dependency: A Review of the Clinical Effectiveness and Guidelines

American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM)

ASAM - Clinical and patient resources for Urine Drug Screen guidelines, including pocket guide and free webinars