Author profile
Philippa Hawley, FRCPC
Background The practices of general surgeons have traditionally been rooted in the imperative to relieve pain and suffering. However, as surgical innovations have grown in sophistication, palliation and cure have... Read More
We appreciate the contribution of Dr Xu and colleagues in their article “Prescription factors contributing to new long-term opioid use in British Columbia between 2013 and 2017.”[1] Their work highlights historical... Read More
Approach to managing cancer pain Over the past 2 decades, cancer has been the leading cause of death in Canada, at just over 80 000 deaths per year in 2019.[1] Heart disease trailed by a large margin, at 52 541. The... Read More
Dr Romayne Gallagher Dr Philippa Hawley Throughout the last 15 years, the increase in opioid-related harms has been situated as a problem with a class of drugs rather than... Read More
We would like to express our concern regarding the article “Think twice: Evidence-based opioid sparing approaches to pain management.”[1] We share the authors’ concern with the current increasing death toll from... Read More
Medicinal cannabis presents a unique dilemma for physicians and regulatory authorities because it represents an unapproved treatment with limited good-quality research to inform guidelines that clarify specific age-... Read More
Methadone is a synthetic opioid used for managing opioid dependence and as a second-line opioid analgesic. A dramatic increase in methadone use for pain has occurred over the last 10 years, with shared worldwide... Read More