With the growing concern of the large number of people in the Erie St. Clair Local Health Integration Network being prescribed opioids, the question is, 'what are physicians taught?'
The medical school at the university of Windsor is affiliated with the Schulich School at Western where Dr. Chris Watling is Associate Dean of Postgraduate Medical Education.
He says the understanding of the link between pain and addiction has improved.
"We've always taught medical students about addiction, and we have always taught medical students about pain, but I think in the past the link between these issues hasn't been as much emphasized as we've learned it needs to be," says Watling.
He says the methods of instructing physicians about the impact of prescribing pain medication is now better.
Watling says they hope the doctors they're graduating have a good grasp on safe prescribing.