Use of strong opioids for non-cancer pain in the community: a case study.
The continued extension of prescribing rights among nurses may necessitate that effective pain management will require more involvement of nurses in the prescription of controlled drugs. The prescription of strong opioid analgesic drugs for chronic non-cancer pain (CNCP) is viewed as controversial. Misconceptions about opioid drugs fuel this controversy. This case study highlights the knowledge gap that exists between pain and addiction medicine and highlights the problems that CNCP patients treated in the community with opioid therapy may encounter. Community nurses are in an ideal position to be instrumental in identifying such vulnerable patients and ensuring that appropriate interventions are available.
Florence Nightingale School of Nursing and Midwifery, King's College London. david.t.cowan@kcl.ac.uk
David T
DT
Cowan
Alison
A
While
Peter
P
Griffiths
D000701:Analgesics, Opioid / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003152:Community Health Nursing / Q000379:methods*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009333:Neck / Q000601:surgery*; D009293:Opioid-Related Disorders / Q000451:nursing / Q000517:prevention & control; D018710:Pain Clinics; D010149:Postoperative Pain / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000451:nursing*
D000701:Analgesics, Opioid