title: Opioids and the treatment of chronic pain in a primary care sample.
abstract: Chronic pain is a widespread, difficult problem facing clinicians. This study assessed the current medical management of a general population of patients with chronic pain in 12 family medicine practices located throughout the state of Wisconsin. Medical record audits were conducted on a sample of 209 adults. Sixty-seven percent were female with an average age of 53 years. The most common pain diagnoses included lumbar/low back (44%), joint disease/arthritis (33%), and headache/migraine (28%) pain. The most frequently prescribed opioids were oxycodone/acetaminophen (31%), morphine ERT (19%), Tylenol #3 (15%), and hydrocodone/acetaminophen (14%). Depression/affective disorders were reported in 36% of the patient charts, anxiety/panic disorders (15%), drug abuse (6%), and alcohol abuse (3%). Written drug contracts were utilized by 42% (n = 31) of the practitioners, pain scales 25% (n = 29), and urine toxicology screens 8% (n = 6). This study suggests that primary care practitioners have unique opportunities to identify and successfully treat patients with chronic pain.
authors.affiliation: Department of Family Medicine Research Program, University of Wisconsin-Madison Medical School, Madison, WI 53715, USA.
authors.forename: N J
authors.initials: NJ
authors.lastname: Adams
authors.forename: M B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Plane
authors.forename: M F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Fleming
authors.forename: M P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Mundt
authors.forename: L A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Saunders
authors.forename: E A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Stauffacher
mesh_terms: D000701:Analgesics, Opioid / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010146:Pain / Q000188:drug therapy*; D011320:Primary Health Care; D012494:Sampling Studies
chemical_list: D000701:Analgesics, Opioid