Adverse effects and cognitive function among primary care patients taking opioids for chronic nonmalignant pain

2006 ◽  
Vol 2 (3) ◽  
pp. 137 ◽  
Author(s):  
Randall T. Brown, MD ◽  
Megan Zuelsdorff, BS ◽  
Michael Fleming, MD, MPH
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Primary Care ◽  
Chronic Pain ◽  
Cognitive Function ◽  
Adverse Effects ◽  
Primary Care Physicians ◽  
Opioid Therapy ◽  
Chronic Opioid Therapy ◽  
Nonmalignant Pain ◽  
Chronic Nonmalignant Pain

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.

scholarly journals Chronic Opioid Therapy for Chronic Non-Cancer Pain: A Review and Comparison of Treatment Guidelines

2014 ◽  
Vol 5;17 (5;9) ◽  
pp. 401-414
Author(s):  
Chi-Wai Cheung
Keyword(s):  
Chronic Pain ◽  
Adverse Effects ◽  
Cancer Pain ◽  
Practice Guidelines ◽  
Scientific Evidence ◽  
Opioid Therapy ◽  
Scientific Data ◽  
Drug Misuse ◽  
Opioid Use ◽  
Chronic Opioid Therapy

Background: Long-term opioid use for chronic non-cancer pain has increased substantially in recent years despite the paucity of strong supporting scientific data and concerns regarding adverse effects and potential misuse. Study Design: Review and summary of practice guidelines available on PubMed and Cochrane databases as well as on the Internet on chronic opioid therapy from June 2004 to June 2013. Objective: To review expert-developed practice guidelines on chronic opioid therapy, published in different countries over the past decade in order to reveal similar principles of therapy and to provide useful information and references for future development of opioid guidelines to identify adequately supported practice points and areas in need of further scientific evidence. Method: Seven guidelines were identified as pertaining specifically to the long-term use of opioids for general chronic non-cancer pain from an initial search of the PubMed/Medline and Cochrane databases using combinations of the search terms “opioid,” “chronic opioid therapy,” “chronic pain,” “chronic non-cancer pain,” “chronic non-malignant pain,” “guidelines,” “practice guidelines,” and “clinical practice guidelines,” filtered to include only articles on humans published in the English language over the past 10 years. Results: All guidelines espouse an individual approach to management, beginning with a comprehensive patient evaluation, with particular focus on eliciting factors that may indicate potential drug misuse and abuse, and a trial of therapy to determine the course of treatment. Goals of treatment should be adequately discussed with and consented to by the patient. Opioids are generally not recommended as first-line therapy but, when used, clinicians should closely monitor patients for loss of response, adverse effects or aberrant behavior, and revise the treatment plan accordingly. Urine drug testing (UDT) may be used as a tool to monitor for aberrant behavior or drug misuse; opioid rotation may be considered when loss of response or adverse effects are a concern, at a starting dose lower than the calculated equianalgesic dose. Limitations: Information on some African nations, countries in the Middle-East, and Pacific Islands is not available and therefore was not included in this review. Conclusion: There is a growing body of scientific evidence to support opioid use in chronic pain. Future work should focus on continuing to generate good-quality evidence on the longterm benefits of opioid therapy, as well as scientific data to guide drug choice and dosing for specific conditions, populations, and situations. Key words: Chronic pain, opioid, non-cancer pain, guidelines, opioid rotation, pain management, opioid therapy

Beliefs and attitudes about opioid prescribing and chronic pain management: Survey of primary care providers

2014 ◽  
Vol 10 (6) ◽  
pp. 375 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert N. Jamison, PhD ◽  
Kerry Anne Sheehan, BA ◽  
Elizabeth Scanlan, NP ◽  
Michele Matthews, PharmD ◽  
Edgar L. Ross, MD
Keyword(s):  
Primary Care ◽  
Chronic Pain ◽  
General Health ◽  
Primary Care Physicians ◽  
General Health Questionnaire ◽  
Primary Care Providers ◽  
Opioid Therapy ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Medication Misuse ◽  
Provider Survey

Objective: There is growing concern of medication misuse and noncompliance among patients with chronic pain prescribed opioids for pain. The aim of this survey was to obtain information from primary care providers (PCPs) about their perception of prescribing opioids for patients with chronic pain.Methods: PCPs were invited to complete a packet of questionnaires about attitudes and concerns about opioids for chronic pain. These questionnaires included 1) General Health Questionnaire, 2) Test of Opioid Knowledge (TOK), 3) Opioid Therapy Provider Survey, and 4) Concerns About Analgesic Prescription Questionnaire.Results: Fifty-six (N = 56) PCPs from eight centers participated in this study. In general, the PCPs showed adequate opioid knowledge on the KOT and their general health was unrelated to prescription attitudes. Most expressed concern about medication misuse (89 percent) and felt that managing patients with chronic pain was stressful (84 percent). Most were worried about addiction (82 percent) and less than half felt that they were sufficiently trained in prescribing opioids (46 percent). Younger providers felt more reluctant to prescribe opioids, experienced more stress in managing patients with pain, had less overall confidence in managing patients with pain, and worried more about opioid dependence than older providers (p < 0.05). Younger providers were also less knowledgeable about opioids, but opioid knowledge was not found to be related to concerns about analgesic prescriptions.Conclusion: This study indicates a general concern and reluctance of primary care physicians to manage the prescribing of opioids among their patients with chronic pain and younger providers expressed more concern about  opioids than older providers.

scholarly journals A multicomponent intervention to improve adherence to opioid prescribing and monitoring guidelines in primary care

2019 ◽  
Vol 15 (6) ◽  
pp. 445-453
Author(s):  
Kristin T. L. Huang, MD ◽  
Deborah Blazey-Martin, MD, MPH ◽  
Daniel Chandler, MD ◽  
Alysse Wurcel, MD, MS ◽  
Joseph Gillis, BA ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Primary Care ◽  
Primary Care Physicians ◽  
Monitoring Program ◽  
Opioid Therapy ◽  
Care Practice ◽  
Chronic Opioid Therapy ◽  
Opioid Prescribing ◽  
The Past ◽  
Icd 10 ◽  
Academic Primary Care

Objective: Guidelines for appropriate management of chronic opioid therapy are underutilized by primary care physicians (PCPs). The authors hypothesized that developing a multicomponent, team-based opioid management system with electronic health record (EHR) support would allow our clinicians to improve adherence to chronic opioid prescribing and monitoring guidelines.Design: This was a retrospective pre-post study.Setting: The authors performed this intervention at our large, urban, academic primary care practice.Patients, participants: All patients with the diagnosis of “chronic pain, opioid requiring (ICD-10 F11.20)” on their primary care EHR problem lists were included in this study.Intervention: The authors implemented a five-pronged strategy to improve our system of opioid prescribing, including (1) a patient registry with regular dissemination of reports to PCPs; (2) standardization of policies regarding opioid prescribing and monitoring; (3) development of a risk-assessment algorithm and risk-stratified monitoring guidelines; (4) a team-based approach to care with physician assistant care managers; and (5) an EHR innovation to facilitate communication and guideline adherence.Main outcome measures: The authors measured percent adherence to opioid prescribing guidelines, including annual patient-provider agreements, biannual urine drug screens (UDSs), and prescription monitoring program (PMP) verification.Results: Between September 2015 and September 2016, the percentage of patients on chronic opioid therapy with a signed controlled substances agreement within the preceding year increased from 46 to 76 percent (p 0.0001), while the percentage of patients with a UDS done within the past 6 months rose from 23 to 79 percent (p 0.0001). The percentage of patients whose state PMPs profile had been checked by a primary care team member in the past year rose from 45 to 97 percent (p 0.0001).Conclusion: A comprehensive strategy to standardize chronic opioid prescribing in our primary care practice coincided with an increase in adherence to opioid management guidelines.

scholarly journals Opioid Therapy for Chronic Nonmalignant Pain

1996 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 17-28 ◽  
Author(s):  
Russell K Portenoy
Keyword(s):  
Chronic Pain ◽  
Opioid Therapy ◽  
Minimal Risk ◽  
Addiction Medicine ◽  
Nonmalignant Pain ◽  
Term Administration ◽  
Chronic Nonmalignant Pain ◽  
Physician Prescribing ◽  
Structured Approach

Long term administration of an opioid drug for chronic nonmalignant pain continues to be controversial, but is no longer uniformly rejected by pain specialists. This is true despite concerns that the regulatory agencies that oversee physician prescribing of opioid drugs continue to stigmatize the practice. The changing clinical perspective has been driven, in part, by widespread acknowledgement of the remarkably favourable outcomes achieved during opioid treatment of cancer pain. These outcomes contrast starkly with popular teaching about chronic opioid therapy and affirm the potential for prolonged efficacy, tolerable side effects, enhanced function associated with improved comfort and minimal risk of aberrant drug-related behaviours consistent with addiction. A large anecdotal experience in populations with nonmalignant pain suggests that these patients are more heterogeneous and that opioid therapy will greatly benefit some and will contribute to negative outcomes for others. The few controlled clinical trials that have been performed support the safety and efficacy of opioid therapy, but have been too limited to ensure generalization to the clinical setting. A critical review of the medical literature pertaining to chronic pain, opioid pharmacology and addiction medicine can clarify misconceptions about opioid therapy and provide a foundation for patient selection and drug administration. The available data support the view that opioids are no panacea for chronic pain, but should be considered in carefully selected patients using clinically derived guidelines that stress a structured approach and ongoing monitoring of efficacy, adverse effects, functional outcomes and the occurrence of aberrant drug-related behaviours.

The endocrine effects of long-term oral opioid therapy: A case report and review of the literature

2018 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 145-154 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer A. Elliott, MD ◽  
Erica Horton, DO ◽  
Eugene E. Fibuch, MD
Keyword(s):  
Case Report ◽  
Endocrine System ◽  
The United States ◽  
Opioid Therapy ◽  
Chronic Opioid Therapy ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Opioid Administration ◽  
Nonmalignant Pain ◽  
Chronic Nonmalignant Pain

The negative effects of long-term opioid administration on the body’s endocrine system have been known for decades.1,2 These effects have been observed and studied with the use of intrathecal opioids and in heroin addicts.3-9 However, they have also been noted to occur with the use of oral opioids, especially in those patients who require chronic opioids for the management of nonmalignant and cancer-associated pain.2,10-13 Epidemiologic data in recent years suggest that up to five million men with chronic nonmalignant pain suffer from opioid-induced androgen deficiency (OPIAD) in the United States.14 Therefore, it is important to understand the physiologic impact of chronic opioid administration in patients. In view of the increasing use of opioids for chronic pain, we must anticipate the potential occurrence of hypogonadism during chronic opioid therapy and monitor patients accordingly. If symptoms of endocrine dysfunction are recognized during chronic opioid therapy, appropriate evaluation, treatment, and follow-up should be instituted. This article describes a case report of a patient who suffered from a clinically significant testosterone deficiency and osteoporosis related to the use of long-term oral opioids for chronic nonmalignant pain. It also includes a review of the existing literature regarding OPIAD and provides recommendations regarding the evaluation and management of OPIAD.

Management of Chronic Nonmalignant Pain

1998 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. 374-381 ◽  
Author(s):  
James T. O'Donnell ◽  
Moriah B. Richie ◽  
Lori A. Nesbitt
Keyword(s):  
Chronic Pain ◽  
Clinical Research ◽  
Interpersonal Relationships ◽  
State Level ◽  
Social Consequences ◽  
High Quality ◽  
Level Of Functioning ◽  
Nonmalignant Pain ◽  
Chronic Nonmalignant Pain

Although advances in knowledge about the pathophysiology of pain have been impressive in recent years, high-quality clinical research in patients with chronic pain has not been abundant. Because chronic pain often leads to profound changes in psychologic state, level of functioning, and interpersonal relationships, treatment requires attention not only to the pathophysiologic cause of the pain (if one can be found) but also to the psychologic and social consequences (and antecedents).

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