As of this October, all prescription opioids must carry a warning sticker about potential adverse effects and pharmacists will be required to provide information handouts to consumers.

It is the first time Health Canada has issued regulations requiring a warning sticker and a patient handout for a medicine dispensed by a pharmacy.

Health Canada’s Chief Medical Officer Dr. Supriya Sharma says the yellow warning sticker will be applied to the container and state that the medication can cause dependence, addiction and overdose.

The handout will include information about the signs of opioid overdose and potential side-effects, as well as warnings not to share the medication and to store it safely out of the reach of children.

Opioid warning labels have been used in the U.S. since 2016.