A Survey of Knowledge, Attitudes, and Behaviours of Canadian Family Physicians in Response to the Canadian Guideline on Prescribing Opioids for Chronic Non-cancer Pain

Background Chronic non-cancer pain (CNCP) is widespread in Canada, with Family Physicians (FPs) playing a crucial role in patient care and opioid stewardship amidst high prescribing rates. Two national surveys conducted in 2010 and 2018 revealed notable knowledge gaps and poor adherence to safe opioid prescribing practices among Canadian FPs.Aims To provide an update on Canadian FPs’ knowledge, attitudes, and behavior regarding opioid prescribing for CNCP.Methods This study is the third national cross-sectional online survey of Canadian FPs. The results are presented narratively, and only descriptive statistics are offered.Results A total of 529 responses were collected from July 2023 to June 2024, primarily from female participants (52%) and Ontario (50%). Eighteen percent of respondents did not prescribe opioids for CNCP, and 17% prescribed only weak opioids. Wait time for a pain specialist and for a non-urgent referral to an addiction specialist were less than one month among 23% and 25% of respondents, respectively. Only 27% of respondents were able to correctly identify the minimum daily dose of morphine equivalents to start prescribing a transdermal fentanyl patch. Respondents’ adherence to recommended practices before starting opioids varied from 16% for “providing written information about opioid therapy” to 93% for “explaining potential harms of long-term opioid therapy.”Conclusion Several knowledge gaps and a lack of adherence to certain guideline-recommended practices were observed among respondents, along with reduced wait times for consultations with pain specialists.