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Risk Prescriptions of Strong Opioids in the Treatment of Chronic Non-Cancer Pain by Primary Care Physicians in Catalonia: Opicat Padris Project

Author

Listed:
  • Aina Perelló-Bratescu

    (Larrard Primary Health Center, Parc Sanitari Pere Virgili, 08024 Barcelona, Spain
    Primary Healthcare Transversal Research Group, IDIBAPS, 08036 Barcelona, Spain)

  • Christian Dürsteler

    (Pain Medicine Section, Anaesthesiology Department, Hospital Clínic de Barcelona, 08036 Barcelona, Spain
    Surgery Department, Medicine Faculty, Universitat de Barcelona, 08036 Barcelona, Spain)

  • Maria Asunción Álvarez-Carrera

    (Pharmacy Service, Parc Sanitari Pere Virgili, 08023 Barcelona, Spain)

  • Laura Granés

    (Preventive Medicine and Epidemiology Department, Hospital Clinic Barcelona, 08036 Barcelona, Spain)

  • Belchin Kostov

    (Primary Healthcare Transversal Research Group, IDIBAPS, 08036 Barcelona, Spain
    Primary Care Centre Les Corts, Consorci d’Atenció Primària de Salut Barcelona Esquerra (CAPSBE), 08028 Barcelona, Spain)

  • Antoni Sisó-Almirall

    (Primary Healthcare Transversal Research Group, IDIBAPS, 08036 Barcelona, Spain
    Primary Care Centre Les Corts, Consorci d’Atenció Primària de Salut Barcelona Esquerra (CAPSBE), 08028 Barcelona, Spain
    Medicine Department, Medicine Faculty, Universitat de Barcelona, 08036 Barcelona, Spain)

Abstract

The prescription of strong opioids (SO) for chronic non-cancer pain (CNCP) is steadily increasing. This entails a high risk of adverse effects, a risk that increases with the concomitant prescription of SO with central nervous system depressant drugs and with the use of SO for non-recommended indications. In order to examine this concomitant risk prescription, we designed a descriptive, longitudinal, retrospective population-based study. Patients aged ≥15 years with a continued SO prescription for ≥3 months during 2013–2017 for CNCP were included. Of these, patients who had received concomitant prescriptions of SO and risk drugs (gabapentinoids, benzodiazepines and antidepressants) and those who had received immediate-release fentanyl (IRF) were selected. The study included 22,691 patients; 20,354 (89.7%) patients received concomitant risk prescriptions. Men and subjects with a higher socioeconomic status received fewer concomitant risk prescriptions. Benzodiazepines or Z-drugs were prescribed concomitantly with SO in 15,883 (70%) patients, antidepressants in 14,932 (65%) and gabapentinoids in 11,267 (49%), while 483 (21.32%) patients received IRF (2266 prescriptions in total) without a baseline SO. In conclusion, our study shows that a high percentage of patients prescribed SO for CNCP received concomitant prescriptions with known risks, as well as IRF for unauthorized indications.

Suggested Citation

  • Aina Perelló-Bratescu & Christian Dürsteler & Maria Asunción Álvarez-Carrera & Laura Granés & Belchin Kostov & Antoni Sisó-Almirall, 2022. "Risk Prescriptions of Strong Opioids in the Treatment of Chronic Non-Cancer Pain by Primary Care Physicians in Catalonia: Opicat Padris Project," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(3), pages 1-10, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:19:y:2022:i:3:p:1652-:d:739809
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. John Macleod & Colin Steer & Kate Tilling & Rosie Cornish & John Marsden & Tim Millar & John Strang & Matthew Hickman, 2019. "Prescription of benzodiazepines, z-drugs, and gabapentinoids and mortality risk in people receiving opioid agonist treatment: Observational study based on the UK Clinical Practice Research Datalink an," PLOS Medicine, Public Library of Science, vol. 16(11), pages 1-16, November.
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