title: The issues around opioid prescribing in HIV-related pain.
abstract: SUMMARY Opioids are very useful analgesics but reports of abuse, addiction and occasionally death have led to an increase in scrutiny, particularly for chronic opioid therapy. The development of effective antiretroviral therapy has changed the focus of treatment of people living with HIV from palliative care to the management of a chronic disease. It is appropriate, therefore, to review the issues around opioid prescribing in HIV in light of this and recent research, and to review the guidance available. This review briefly examines the epidemiology of pain in people living with HIV and then the use and issues around strong opioid prescribing in this group.
authors.affiliation: Chelsea & Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, 369 Fulham Road, London, SW10 9NH, UK. sarah.cox@chelwest.nhs.uk.
authors.forename: Sarah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Cox