Canadian family physician Médecin de famille canadien
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To examine the factors that influence variation in timely access to primary care across the different health regions in New Brunswick. ⋯ This study found that performance measurements and other organizational practices are favourably linked to timely access to primary care.
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To systematically examine the content of opioid-related advertisements. ⋯ Many claims of the effectiveness and safety of opioids were published in medical journals through advertisements. Advertisements did not usually mention key negative information about opioids. Although the extent to which these advertisements directly influenced the development of the opioid crisis in North America is unknown, the marked omission of important detrimental effects of opioids may have played a role. Further efforts to restrict opioid marketing may be warranted.
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Chronic noncancer pain is often excessively managed with medications (most notably opioids) instead of nonpharmacologic options or multidisciplinary care-the gold standards. ⋯ A nurse-led chronic pain program, initiated without extra funding, was successfully integrated into a primary care setting. Among the participating patients in the pilot project, outcomes related to pain intensity, pain interference with daily living, and opioid use were encouraging. This program could serve as a model for improving chronic noncancer pain management in primary care.