Problematic Pharmaceutical Opioid Use Common in Noncancer Pain

Clinicians and policymakers need a more accurate estimate of the prevalence of problematic opioid use, authors say

By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter

THURSDAY, Aug. 15, 2024 (HealthDay News) — For individuals with chronic noncancer pain (CNCP) treated with opioid analgesics, problematic pharmaceutical opioid use (POU) is common, according to a study published online Aug. 7 in Addiction.

Kyla H. Thomas, Ph.D., M.B.B.S., from the University of Bristol in the United Kingdom, and colleagues conducted a comprehensive systematic literature review and meta-analysis to examine the prevalence of POU in CNCP patients (aged 12 years and older) treated with opioid analgesics. POU was defined as dependence and opioid use disorder (D&OUD), signs and symptoms of D&OUD (S&S), aberrant behavior (AB), and at risk for D&OUD. Data were included from 148 studies with more than 4.3 million participants; 1 percent of studies had a high risk for bias.

The researchers found that the pooled prevalence was 9.3 percent (I², 99.9 percent), 29.6 percent (I², 99.3 percent), and 22 percent (I², 99.8 percent) for D&OUD, S&S, and AB, respectively, while prevalence of those at risk for D&OUD was 12.4 percent (I², 99.6 percent). Study setting, study design, and diagnostic tool affected prevalence. The findings should be interpreted with caution due to high heterogeneity, according to the researchers.

“Clinicians and policymakers need a more accurate estimate of the prevalence of problematic opioid use in pain patients so that they can gauge the true extent of the problem, change prescribing guidance if necessary, and develop and implement effective interventions to manage the problem,” Thomas said in a statement. “Knowing the size of the problem is a necessary step to managing it.”