A NATION HOOKED ON POWERFUL PAINKILLERS
New health warning as soaring number of Scots now addicted to super-strength drugs
THE NUMBER of prescriptions for powerful painkillers in Scotland has soared by more than a million in a decade.
Experts fear more Scots are becoming addicted to such drugs and GPs are coming under ‘pressure’ to hand them out. Prescription opioid painkillers include morphine, codeine, tramadol and fentanyl, which can kill if they are misused.
NHS figures show 2.7million prescriptions for opioids were handed out in Scotland last year, compared to 1.6million a decade earlier.
They are used to treat severe pain such as back or neck pain after an injury. They are also given to patients with cancer during end of life care. But last night experts warned of a worrying link between the increase in prescriptions and painkiller addiction.
Professor Jonathan Chick, medical director of the private Castle Craig Hospital, an addictions clinic in Peeblesshire, said: ‘We have seen an increase in the number of people seeking help for addictions to prescription opiates. It’s a vicious circle
that develops. Opioids are a wonderful blessing in cancer pain and palliative medicine at the end of life.
‘But back pain is a common reason for them to be prescribed, for example if someone is recovering from an injury.
‘We know the pressure GPs are under and we should hesitate before criticising them, particularly those working in areas where there is emotional or physical suffering related to poverty.
‘But sometimes there are pressures from patients and these drugs can become like cotton wool, protecting patients from anxiety and distress. People need to be more wary of these drugs.’
NHS Information Services Division figures show that in 2004-5, 1.3million opioid painkiller prescriptions were dispensed in Scotland, rising to 1.6million in 2006-7 and 2.7million in 2016-17. The cost leapt from just under £18million in 2004-05 to more than £31million last year.
Such drugs also include oxycodone and dihydrocodeine. Codeine is available over the counter but can be available in higher doses on prescription.
GPs insisted they would never prescribe opioids as a ‘quick fix’.
Professor Helen Stokes-Lampard, chairman of the Royal College of GPs, said: ‘GPs take prescribing any medication incredibly seriously and will do so based on the physical, psychological and social factors potentially impacting on the health of the patient in front of them, and in line with current clinical guidelines. They will never prescribe simply as a quick fix solution. Opioids can be very effective painkillers for new onset or longer-term conditions.
‘However, for patients living with chronic pain they do have associated risks – includto ing addiction.’ She added: ‘GPs will always try to explore alternatives, such as psychological therapies – but these can be hard to come by at community level, leaving them with few alternatives which are still considered of equal benefit to the patient.’
The number of drug-related deaths soared a record total north of the Border in 2016 – at 867. This included 473 deaths from heroin or morphine and 43 from codeine as well as 114 from dihydrocodeine.
Scottish Tory health spokesman Miles Briggs criticised the SNP’s ‘mismanagement’ of the NHS, saying: ‘For many patients chronic pain services are simply not available and this has clearly impacted on the number of opioid prescriptions.’
A Scottish Government spokesman said: ‘All medicines are prescribed based on clinical need and discussed with patients within the context of their long-term recovery.
‘Prescriptions should be reviewed regularly to achieve the best possible health outcomes and ongoing support should be provided to patients who are prescribed medicines that are known to be addictive.’
‘Need to be more wary of these drugs’