One in six patients prescribed opiates ‘ became long- term users’

PRESCRIPTIONS FOR opioids rose steadily in the UK between 2006 to 2017, with one in six becoming long- term users, a study reveals.

Researchers say the findings suggest older age, social deprivation and a history of self harm or substance abuse are associated with increased risk of long- term opioid use.

They found that opioid prescriptions, especially for codeine, morphine and oxycodone, all increased substantially over the time period.

Researchers who analysed data from nearly two million new opioid users found 14.6 per cent became long- term users.

According to the study, a small percentage of physicians were what researchers called “highrisk prescribers”, whose patients were 3.5 times more likely to use the drugs continually.

People were more likely to becomelongtermusersiftheywere older, experiencing social deprivation, had a history of self- harm, suicide attempts, substance or alcohol abuse or suffering from fibromyalgia or rheumatological diseases, Dr Meghna Jani at the University of Manchester and colleagues reported.

The study’s findings support calls for safer and more consistent opioid prescription practices in the UK to avoid the addiction epidemic seen in many other countries.

The authors point out that identifying general practices with abnormally high prescription rates through audit and feedback tools could help drive safer prescribing.

Dr Jani said given the potential harm it was “imperative to promote safe practices in prescribing and reduce the variability we observed between regions, practices and prescriber”.