Seven times more opioid prescriptions filled in Canada than Sweden: study

Canadian patients who underwent low-risk surgery filled opioid prescriptions within a week of discharge at seven times the rate of Swedish patients, a new study reveals. Nearly 79 per cent of Canadian patients collected opioids after their operation compared to just 11 per cent of Swedes, according to a report published in JAMA Network Open. It claims to be the first study of its kind to assess the differences in opioid use after surgery for patients receiving similar procedures in different cou