Alberta Opioid Dispensation Rates by Age, Sex, and Health Region

Government of Alberta data presents age- and sex-specific dispensation rates for opioid prescriptions filled at community pharmacies. The rates are expressed per 1000 population and cover Alberta, nine health regions, and five Alberta Health Services Continuum Zones. The dataset was last updated on 2026-04-17.

Use Cases

• Analyze regional disparities in opioid prescription rates based on the nine health regions and five continuum zones.
• Model demographic risk factors for opioid use based on age and sex-specific dispensation rates.
• Monitor public health interventions by tracking prescription rates over time at the regional level.

Strengths

• Data is provided at a granular level, covering nine health regions and five continuum zones within Alberta.
• Rates are standardized per 1000 population, allowing for direct comparisons across regions and demographics.
• The dataset is published by the Government of Alberta, an authoritative source for provincial health data.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment for large-scale modeling.
• Data may reflect geographic bias inherent to its focus on Alberta, Canada.

Provenance

Source

Government of Alberta

Collection Method

Likely compiled from community pharmacy prescription dispensation records.

Time Range

null

Freshness

Last updated 2026-04-17 14:36:49.512777; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Alberta, Canada, including nine health regions and five Alberta Health Services Continuum Zones.