Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
KILL PAINKILLERS
GPS should no longer prescribe paracetamol for chronic pain
PAINKILLERS from opioids to paracetamol should no longer be prescribed by GPS for chronic pain, a landmark ruling has found.
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence concluded there was no evidence pills including ibuprofen “made any difference to people’s quality of life, pain or psychological distress”.
The long-awaited draft guidance on chronic pain said there was evidence painkillers cause harm, including addiction. It is seen as an attempt to wean people off from being a nation of pill poppers after a Public Health England review found millions are addicted.
It relates to “chronic primary pain” suffered by millions and for which medics cannot pinpoint a specific cause. A third to half of the population suffer, NICE estimated.
GPS should instead offer supervised group exercise
Anti-cholesterol drugs like statins fail to cut the risk of death in 75% of patients, a controversial study says.
They lower “bad” cholesterol, but University of New Mexico experts who reviewed 35 clinical programmes, counselling or acupuncture as treatment.
Nick Kosky, chair of the guideline committee, warned of the risks of “prescribing ineffective but harmful drugs”.
trials found this may not effectively cut risks of heart disease or stroke.
Author Dr Robert Dubroff said: “Dozens of trials have failed to demonstrate a consistent benefit.”
Critics say the study was flawed.
Other drugs that should no longer be offered were ketamine, corticosteroids, antipsychotics and benzodiazepines.
GPS should explain the “risks of continuing”. “If a shared decision is made to stop... be aware of the problems associated with withdrawal,” the guidance said.
Eytan Alexander, managing director of the drug rehab firm UKAT, said: “Prescription drug addiction is as real as a heroin addiction, but the addict gets their drugs from their GP.”
The draft is open for public consultation until August 14.