Quality Standard Details
Opioid Use Disorder (Opioid Addiction): Care for People 16 Years of Age and Older
- Publication Date
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2018-March-01
- Status
- Published
- Topic Area
- Mental Health and Addictions
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People with opioid use disorder have a mortality rate more than 10 times that of the general population. Fatal overdoses are a significant cause of mortality for people with opioid use disorder, and the rate of fatal overdoses has been rising rapidly in Ontario. According to statistics from the Office of the Chief Coroner for Ontario, the rate of opioid overdose-related deaths increased by 285% between 1991 and 2015.
There are many opportunities to improve health outcomes and the quality of care for Ontarians with opioid use disorder. Many people with opioid use disorder report being unable to access the care they need. There are also regional variations in the availability of opioid agonist therapy – the first-line treatment for opioid use disorder – with significantly less provision in rural and remote locations than in urban centres.
This quality standard addresses care for people 16 years of age and older (including those who are pregnant) who have or are suspected of having opioid use disorder. The scope of this quality standard applies to all services and care settings, including long-term care homes, mental health settings, remote nursing stations, and correctional facilities, in all geographic regions of the province.
Please refer to our Opioid Prescribing for Chronic Pain quality standard and Opioid Prescribing for Acute Pain quality standard for detailed quality statements related to these topics.
Quality Standard in Brief
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Quality Statement 1: Identifying and Diagnosing Opioid Use Disorder
People at risk of opioid use disorder are asked about their opioid use and are further assessed as appropriate.
Quality Statement 2: Comprehensive Assessment and Collaborative Care Plan
People diagnosed with or identified as having opioid use disorder have a comprehensive assessment and a care plan developed in collaboration with their care providers.
Quality Statement 3: Addressing Physical Health, Mental Health, Additional Addiction Treatment Needs, and Social Needs
People with opioid use disorder have integrated, concurrent, culturally safe management of their physical health, mental health, additional addiction treatment needs, and social needs.
Quality Statement 4: Information to Participate in Care
People with opioid use disorder are provided with information to enable them to participate in their care. If their family is involved, they are also provided with this information.
Quality Statement 5: Opioid Agonist Therapy as First-Line Treatment
People with opioid use disorder are informed that treatment that includes opioid agonist therapy is safer and more effective than treatments that do not include opioid agonist therapy.
Quality Statement 6: Access to Opioid Agonist Therapy
People diagnosed with or identified as having opioid use disorder have access to opioid agonist therapy as soon as possible, within a maximum of three days.
Quality Statement 7: Treatment of Opioid Withdrawal Symptoms
People with opioid use disorder who are in moderate or severe withdrawal from opioids are offered relief of their symptoms with buprenorphine/naloxone within two hours.
Quality Statement 8: Access to Take-Home Naloxone and to Overdose Education
People with opioid use disorder and their families have immediate access to take-home naloxone and to overdose education.
Quality Statement 9: Tapering Off of Opioid Agonist Therapy
People who have achieved sustained stability on opioid agonist therapy who wish to taper off are supported in a collaborative slow taper if clinically appropriate.
Quality Statement 10: Concurrent Mental Health Disorders
People with opioid use disorder who also have a mental health disorder are offered concurrent treatment for their mental health disorder.
Quality Statement 11: Harm Reduction
People who use opioids have same-day access to harm reduction services. A comprehensive harm reduction approach includes education, safe supplies, infectious disease testing, vaccinations, appropriate referrals, and supervised consumption services.
Supporting Documents
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Patient guide for this quality standard
Know what to ask for in your care
Placemat for this quality standard
A quick-reference resource for clinicians that summarizes the quality standard and includes links to helpful resources and tools
Quality improvement tools and resources for health care professionals, including an action plan template
Supplementary information to support the data collection and measurement process
Additional Resources
If you would like to receive these resources, please send us a message using our contact form:
- Case for improvement (slide deck)
Share why this standard was created and the data behind it, to get the support you need to put it into practice - Technical specifications
See the technical specifications for the indicators within the quality standard - Tools to support patient care
- Summary of the public feedback we received
- Case for improvement (slide deck)
Last Updated: February 24, 2026
