The opioid crisis in Alberta continues to affect communities across the province, and all health system partners have been actively working to address this crisis.
Since receiving the grant, the Primary Health Care Opioid Response Initiative (PHC ORI) partnership (ACFP, AMA, AHS aligned with AH) has been leading the primary care response. We have been working with Zone PCN committees and zone opioid working groups to design and implement activities that serve each community while meeting the 4 over arching goals:
- Access and Continuity: Improve access, continuity and care delivery within primary care settings for individuals using opioids.
- Decision Support, Knowledge Translation and Education: Implement relevant and practical evidence informed decision supports and knowledge translation tools, including mentorship, to better equip and educate primary care providers and teams, including clinics and PCNs, to support patients with addition, mental health and/or pain issues resulting in use of or risk of use of opioids and/or with Opioid Use Disorder.
- Enhanced Coordination of Care and System Integration: Enhance system integration and coordination of care between primary care practices and other service delivery partners for patients using opioids including those with Opioid Use Disorder.
- Population Health Planning: Using a population health based approach, develop and implement a service plan for the integrated delivery of opioid related care.