Managing COVID-19 In Alberta’s Public Health Dental Clinics
Dr. Heidi Rabie
Chief of Public Health Dental Clinics, Alberta Health Services
As Chief of Public Health Clinics for Alberta Health Services, Dr. Heidi Rabie runs two public dental health clinics in Calgary that serve local high-needs populations such as the homeless, patients with addictions, and patients with mental health issues.
In conversation with Chiraz Guessaier, Manager CDA Oasis, Dr. Rabie shares her experience of managing the COVID-19 pandemic in a public health environment. She highlights the impact the pandemic has had on dental practice in the short term, and looks ahead to some of the questions that have been raised regarding the care of vulnerable populations.
Here are some of the key takeaways from the conversation…
- During the first two months of the pandemic there was a significant rise in the use of pharmacotherapy:
- Use of antibiotics tripled compared with the same two months in the previous year.
- Use of anti-inflammatories more than quadrupled.
- Clinic saw a 44% increase in opioid prescription, though overall number of opioids prescribed is very small.
- One study in the UK showed a 25% increase in antibiotics.
- This rise in antibiotic use is of concern given that the WHO predicts that by 2030 up to 24 million people per year will be driven into poverty because of antimicrobial resistant disease. It highlights the importance of access to care for vulnerable populations.
- The COVID pandemic has brought dentistry to the forefront of health care and has defined the essential nature of the profession. This raises many questions for the future, such as how we fund essential care for low-income populations.
We hope you find the conversation useful. We welcome your thoughts, questions and/or suggestions about this post and other topics. Leave a comment in the box below or send us your feedback by email.
Until next time!
CDA Oasis Team
