One in three patients given strong painkillers shows signs of addiction, a major study has found
A large-scale study has found that one in three people who take prescription painkillers show signs of addiction.
The study, which included more than 4.3 million adults with chronic pain, found that nearly one in 10 people prescribed opioids became dependent.
Experts say this indicates that the scale of the problem is much greater than feared and they are calling for stricter guidelines for prescribing drugs.
Opioids, such as codeine, morphine, oxycodone, and tramadol, can be very effective as short-term pain relievers.
However, with prolonged use they can lead to dependence, physical and mental health problems or even death from accidental overdose or heart disease due to side effects.
One-third of the patients studied showed signs of opioid dependence, while 12 percent were at risk of opioid addiction.
Researchers from the University of Bristol analysed 148 studies involving over 4.3 million adult patients with chronic pain who were treated with prescription opioid painkillers.
They divided them into four categories depending on how the studies defined problematic opioid use.
It was found that nearly one in ten patients had a formal diagnosis of opioid dependence and addiction,
Nearly one in three (30 percent) showed signs and symptoms of opioid dependence and addiction, such as cravings, tolerance or withdrawal symptoms.
Deviant behaviour – including asking for repeat prescriptions as soon as possible, repeatedly increasing doses or frequently losing prescriptions – occurred in one in five (22 percent), according to the findings in the journal Addiction.
According to researchers, about 12 percent of respondents were at risk of opioid dependence and addiction.
Lead author Kyla Thomas, professor of public health medicine at the University of Bristol, said: ‘Medicine and policymakers need a more accurate estimate of the prevalence of problematic opioid use in pain patients so they can assess the true scale of the problem, adjust prescribing guidelines if necessary, and develop and implement effective interventions to address the problem.
Purple Rain singer Prince was in severe pain for years before he died, and hundreds of painkillers were found in his home. In 2018, his family filed a lawsuit against his doctor, alleging he failed to properly treat the star’s opioid addiction.
“Knowing the magnitude of the problem is a necessary step toward controlling it.”
Most studies took place among patients in North America between 2010 and 2021, although prescription drug addiction is also reported in the United Kingdom.
Last year, the NHS published new guidelines aimed at reducing the inappropriate prescribing of painkillers and other addictive drugs, which cost the health service around £500 million a year.
The number of opioid prescriptions fell by half a million, from 5.68 million to 5.23 million, as a result of a campaign to reduce the use of addictive and potentially harmful drugs.
Since 2017, the Mail has been campaigning for greater recognition of the prescription drug addiction crisis.
An NHS England spokesperson said: ‘When used appropriately, medicines can provide life-changing treatments for patients. It is important to be aware of the potential risks of dependence and withdrawal from certain medicines, including opioids. That is why our personalised care framework includes guidance on managing problematic opioid use.
‘Any decision to prescribe a medication should be made by the prescriber and the patient. If necessary, patients should be given support if a medication no longer has the intended effect.’