Exploring beliefs and practice of opioid prescribing for persistent non-cancer pain by general practitioners.
Persistent non-cancer pain is a common reason for consultation in primary care but treatment options, including non-opioid analgesics, are limited, and neither strong evidence nor established guidelines address when and how primary care doctors should prescribe opioid analgesics for persistent non-cancer pain. The aim of this study was to investigate associations between doctors' prescribing patterns for persistent non-cancer pain in primary care and their personal and practice characteristics and beliefs about appropriateness and risks of opioids. A pilot survey sampled beliefs concerning the need for and risks of opioid prescribing for persistent non-cancer pain among volunteers from primary care practices and postgraduate educational events, using a self-report questionnaire, and related these beliefs to their reported opioid prescribing. One quarter of the sample prescribed no opioids for persistent non-cancer pain. Prescribing opioids was predicted by moderate belief in the appropriateness of opioids within certain constraints, and to a lesser extent by younger age. While some beliefs distinguished prescribers from non-prescribers, predicting non-prescribing was poor. Both prescribers and non-prescribers expressed concern about the risks of opioids. In addition, most primary care doctors were dissatisfied with their training on pain; few had prescribing guidelines; and neither training nor guidelines influenced prescribing. In conclusion, whether or not GPs prescribe opioids for persistent non-cancer pain is mainly determined by their personal beliefs about appropriateness of opioids for this problem.
Guy's & St. Thomas' Hospitals NHS Trust, St. Thomas' Hospital, Lambeth Bridge Road, London SE1 7EH, UK.
Kirsty
K
Hutchinson
Annie M E
AM
Moreland
Amanda C
AC
de C Williams
John
J
Weinman
Rob
R
Horne
D000328:Adult; D000701:Analgesics, Opioid / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D003469:Culture; D037001:Directive Counseling / Q000706:statistics & numerical data / Q000639:trends; D011307:Drug Prescriptions / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009293:Opioid-Related Disorders / Q000517:prevention & control; D010148:Intractable Pain / Q000188:drug therapy*; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D010821:Physicians, Family / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data / Q000639:trends*; D011364:Professional Practice / Q000706:statistics & numerical data / Q000639:trends; D018570:Risk Assessment
D000701:Analgesics, Opioid