Opioid Prescribing for Chronic Nonmalignant Pain in Primary Care: Challenges and Solutions

Author(s):  
Yngvild Olsen ◽  
Gail L. Daumit
Pain Medicine ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 20 (8) ◽  
pp. 1528-1533 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elizabeth Chuang ◽  
Eric N Gil ◽  
Qi Gao ◽  
Benjamin Kligler ◽  
M Diane McKee

Abstract Objective The widespread use of opioid analgesics to treat chronic nonmalignant pain has contributed to the ongoing epidemic of opioid-related morbidity and mortality. Previous studies have also demonstrated a relationship between opioid analgesic use and unemployment due to disability. These studies have been limited to mainly white European and North American populations. The objective of this study is to explore the relationship between opioid analgesic use for chronic nonmalignant pain in an urban, mainly black and Hispanic, low-income population. Design This is a cross-sectional observational study. Setting Subjects were recruited from six urban primary care health centers. Subjects Adults with chronic neck, back, or osteoarthritis pain participating in an acupuncture trial were included. Methods Survey data were collected as a part of the Acupuncture Approaches to Decrease Disparities in Pain Treatment two-arm (AADDOPT-2) comparative effectiveness trial. Participants completed a baseline survey including employment status, opioid analgesic use, the Brief Pain Inventory, the global Patient Reported Outcomes Measurement Information Systems quality of life measure, the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), and demographic information. A multivariable logistic regression model was built to examine the association between opioid analgesic use and unemployment. Results Opioid analgesic use was associated with three times the odds of unemployment due to disability while controlling for potential confounders, including depression, pain severity, pain interference, global physical and mental functioning, and demographic characteristics. Conclusions This study adds to the growing body of evidence that opioid analgesics should be used with caution in chronic nonmalignant pain.


2014 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 255 ◽  
Author(s):  
Allison A. Macerollo, MD ◽  
Donald O. Mack, MD ◽  
Rupal Oza, MD, MPH ◽  
Ian M. Bennett, MD, PhD ◽  
Lorraine S. Wallace, PhD

Objective: To examine academic family medicine physicians' current practices, experiences, beliefs, level of concern about negative outcomes, and confidence and comfort when prescribing opioid analgesics for chronic nonmalignant pain management. Design: Electronic cross-sectional survey.Participants: This study was part of the Council of Academic Family Medicine (CAFM) Educational Research Alliance omnibus survey of active academic US family physicians.Main outcome measures: Respondents completed survey items addressing their 1) sociodemographic and practice characteristics, 2) current opioid prescribing practices, 3) experiences and beliefs toward prescribing opioid analgesics for chronic nonmalignant pain management, 4) level of concern about negative opioid-related outcomes, and 5) confidence and comfort when prescribing opioid analgesics.Results: The majority of the sample (n = 491) were male (57.8 percent) with 84.1 percent identifying themselves as non-Hispanic white. Nearly all respondents (91.0 percent) reported currently prescribing opioids to patients with chronic nonmalignant pain. Most respondents reported being confident (88.4 percent) and comfortable (76.2 percent) in their prescribing for patients with chronic nonmalignant pain. Family physicians who were comfortable in their opioid prescribing skills were more likely to report satisfaction in prescribing opioids to patients with chronic pain (ρ = 0.494, p < 0.001), while those who were confident in their opioid prescribing skills were more likely to identify pain management as high priority (ρ = -0.287, p < 0.001).Conclusions: Most academic family physicians currently prescribed opioid analgesics to patients with chronic nonmalignant pain. There was a strong inverse relationship between confidence regarding opioid prescription and concern about negative consequences. Similarly, comfort level was tied to increased satisfaction with the overall process of opioid prescription.


2018 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 123-134 ◽  
Author(s):  
John M. Saroyan, MD ◽  
Wendy Y. Cheng, MPH ◽  
Damani C. Taylor, BA ◽  
Amna Afzal, MD ◽  
Nomita Sonty, MPhil, PhD ◽  
...  

Objectives: To characterize the opioid prescribing and monitoring practices of providers for chronic nonmalignant pain (CNP) and subacute postoperative pain (SAPOP) in adolescents.Design: Web-based cross-sectional self-report survey.Setting: Free-standing pediatric tertiary academic center.Participants: A total of 183 physicians and nurse practitioners were eligible. Of 115 (62.8 percent) participants who responded, 108 (93.9 percent) completed the survey.Main outcome measures: Self-reported frequency of opioid prescription for SAPOP and CNP conditions and frequency of associated monitoring practices.Results: For 10 of the 13 pain conditions included, some participants endorsed “monthly or more opioid prescriptions” while others endorsed “opioids do not represent appropriate management.” Opioid prescribing is present for almost all pain conditions but is substantially more common for nonacute vaso-occlusive-related sickle cell disease, scoliosis correction, and video-assisted pectus excavatumrelated pains. When compared with the reference group, CNP with no identifiable pathology, the odds ratio (OR) of an opioid being prescribed for CNP states with identifiable pathology was not significantly higher. The OR for SAPOP was significantly higher (p 0.0001). None of the opioid prescribers reported collecting urine toxicology before or during opioid therapy.Conclusions: This survey identifies a diversity of self-reported clinician opioid prescribing practices for adolescents with CNP and SAPOP. Urine collection for drug toxicology screening is not utilized by opioid prescribers. Surveys of similar clinician practice behaviors at other institutions are warranted to replicate this finding and to establish common clinical practice for usage and monitoring of opioids in conditions where guidelines do not yet exist.


2006 ◽  
Vol 2 (3) ◽  
pp. 137 ◽  
Author(s):  
Randall T. Brown, MD ◽  
Megan Zuelsdorff, BS ◽  
Michael Fleming, MD, MPH

Chronic opioid therapy is commonly prescribed for chronic nonmalignant pain. Few published data describe the adverse effects experienced by patients with chronic nonmalignant pain being treated by primary care physicians. A prevalence study was conducted on a sample of 1,009 patients (889 receiving chronic opioids) being treated by 235 primary care physicians. Standardized questionnaires and medical record reviews were used to assess rates of addiction, pain diagnosis and severity, opioid adverse effects, and mental health. The mean daily dose of opioids was 92 mg using a morphine-equivalent conversion. Side effects included constipation (40 percent), sleeping problems (25 percent), loss of appetite (23 percent), and sexual dysfunction (18 percent), with patients on daily opioids experiencing more side effects than subjects on intermittent medication. The Medical Outcomes Study Mental Health Inventory (MOS-MHI) cognitive functioning scale indicated poorer cognitive function in the overall sample of chronic pain patients as compared to a general clinical sample (Δ x 95 percent CI = 9.28, 13.76). However, there were limited differences in MOS scores between chronic pain subjects on daily opioids vs. intermittent opioids vs. no prescription opioids. A regression model suggests that psychological measures and pain severity are more predictive of decrements in cognitive function than specific opioid preparations or daily opioid dose. Physicians should closely monitor patients for adverse effects and adequacy of pain control when using chronic opioid therapy for chronic pain treatment. Psychological health, an important predictor of cognitive dysfunction, is a particularly important measure to actively monitor and manage.


2010 ◽  
Vol 36 (5) ◽  
pp. 372-393 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jorge G. Ruiz ◽  
S. Sobiya Qadri ◽  
Samir Nader ◽  
Jia Wang ◽  
Timothy Lawler ◽  
...  

2005 ◽  
Vol 53 (4) ◽  
pp. 687-694 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bao D. Duong ◽  
Robert D. Kerns ◽  
Virginia Towle ◽  
M. Carrington Reid

2018 ◽  
Vol 31 (1) ◽  
pp. 57-63 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kevin S. McCann ◽  
Shawndra Barker ◽  
Raymond Cousins ◽  
Adam Franks ◽  
Clinton McDaniel ◽  
...  

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