Response to “Opioid warning label”
======================================

* Jason W. Busse

My colleagues and I thank Dr. Herzog for his comment1 regarding the 2017 Canadian “Guideline for Opioid Therapy for Chronic Noncancer Pain.”2

In 2016, I was asked by Health Canada to chair a Scientific Advisory Panel on Opioids whose mandate was to advise regarding the design and content of new information for opioid warning labels and patient information handouts. One of the panel’s recommendations was to provide proposed wording for a warning sticker on all prescription opioids sold in Canada.

Further to the panel’s recommendations, Health Canada conducted user testing of the proposed sticker and other sticker options. The preferred sticker was published for further public consultation in *Canada Gazette*, Part I, on June 16, 2017 (available at [www.gazette.gc.ca/rp-pr/p1/2017/2017-06-17/html/reg8-eng.php](http://www.gazette.gc.ca/rp-pr/p1/2017/2017-06-17/html/reg8-eng.php)). The proposed wording on the sticker is “Opioids can cause DEPENDENCE, ADDICTION and OVERDOSE.”

This sticker would include a warning graphic and would be bright yellow in colour (see Appendix 1 in the *Canada Gazette* document indicated previously).

The record of proceedings for the Scientific Advisory Panel On Opioids is available at [https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/drugs-health-products/drug-products/scientific-expert-advisory-panels/opioids.html](https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/drugs-health-products/drug-products/scientific-expert-advisory-panels/opioids.html).

## Footnotes

*   **Competing interests:** Jason Busse is a member of the Steering Committee for the Canadian Guideline for opioid therapy and chronic noncancer pain.

## References

1.  Herzog M. Opioid warning label [letter]. CMAJ 2017;189:E1318.
    
    [FREE Full Text](http://www.cmaj.ca/lookup/ijlink/YTozOntzOjQ6InBhdGgiO3M6MTQ6Ii9sb29rdXAvaWpsaW5rIjtzOjU6InF1ZXJ5IjthOjQ6e3M6ODoibGlua1R5cGUiO3M6NDoiRlVMTCI7czoxMToiam91cm5hbENvZGUiO3M6NDoiY21haiI7czo1OiJyZXNpZCI7czoxMjoiMTg5LzQyL0UxMzE4IjtzOjQ6ImF0b20iO3M6MjM6Ii9jbWFqLzE4OS80Mi9FMTMxOS5hdG9tIjt9czo4OiJmcmFnbWVudCI7czowOiIiO30=) 

2.  Busse JW, Craigie S, Juurlink DN, et al. Guideline for opioid therapy and chronic noncancer pain. CMAJ 2017;189:E659–66.
    
    [FREE Full Text](http://www.cmaj.ca/lookup/ijlink/YTozOntzOjQ6InBhdGgiO3M6MTQ6Ii9sb29rdXAvaWpsaW5rIjtzOjU6InF1ZXJ5IjthOjQ6e3M6ODoibGlua1R5cGUiO3M6NDoiRlVMTCI7czoxMToiam91cm5hbENvZGUiO3M6NDoiY21haiI7czo1OiJyZXNpZCI7czoxMToiMTg5LzE4L0U2NTkiO3M6NDoiYXRvbSI7czoyMzoiL2NtYWovMTg5LzQyL0UxMzE5LmF0b20iO31zOjg6ImZyYWdtZW50IjtzOjA6IiI7fQ==)