In the US the opioid crisis is wrecking communities and has brought convictions for pharmaceutical executives that might lead to jail. With usage climbing steadily how far behind might the UK be? Paul Chazot shares this Big Issue Article from 2020, showing how pertinent a problem this continues to be.
Millions of adults in the UK are thought to live with chronic pain – defined as lasting three months or more. But there are few effective treatments available.
Opioids – which originate from the poppy plant but are now often synthetically produced – are best suited to treating acute, end of life and cancer pain. But from the 1990s, the number of patients being prescribed them for chronic pain soared – peaking at 24 million prescriptions in 2016, before dropping slightly. In 2017-18, 5.6 million adults received at least one opioid prescription, while 540,000 non-cancer patients had been on them for at least three years.
The reasons behind the rise are complex. Partly it can be attributed to an ageing population and more people living with pain. General practice is under strain – with short appointment times and patients who expect to be medicated.
To read the full article please click here (Big Issue Website)
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