Abstract

TORMO MOLINA, J. et al. Strong opioids prescription in patients with noncancer pain: description of its characteristics in an area of primary health care. Rev. Soc. Esp. Dolor [online]. 2017, vol.24, n.1, pp.19-26. ISSN 1134-8046.  https://dx.doi.org/10.20986/resed.2016.3471/2016.

Objective: Analyze all strong opioids prescriptions in patients with non-cancer pain of our health zone, and review the frecuency and characteristics. Design: Transversal descriptive study. Location: Primary health care, attended by 24 GPs, with 38,000 people in the reference population. Participants: All patients with non-cancer pain who were prescribed strong opioids drugs in a certain date. Method of data collection: The pharmacological data were collected from the database requirements of the Andalusian Health Service. The clinical data from clinical digital history "Diraya". Results: 138 patients were receiving this treatment in the date of study (3.6 ‰ of the population). Mean age: 78 years -(± 11.6); 76.8 % women. Duration of treatment: 555.4 days -(± 667.7). Average dose of opioid: 82 mg (± 54.9) morphine equivalent/day. Drug most used at baseline (25 %) and at the time of the audit (18.9 %): transdermal fentanyl 25 mcg. Appropriate starting dose: 76 %. Progressive modifications dose: 83 %. Most frequent reason for prescribing: lumbar pathology (22 %). Analgesics steps were used in 66 %. Side effects consisted: 11 %. 70 % were taking benzodiazepines simultaneously. Conclusions: The prevalence of prescription strong opioids in non-cancer patients is 3.6 ‰ of our population. At the time of the audit, treatment is initiated for a year and a half ago, the drug most commonly used is transdermal fentanyl, which is also as the beginning of treatment and two out of three patients are simultaneously using drugs from the group of benzodiazepines.

Keywords : Chronic pain; analgesics opioid; primary health care.

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