COVID-19 Latest
World|science|May 6, 2014 / 04:03 PM
Doctors warn of opioid addiction danger

AKIPRESS.COM - Opioid Opioid pain killers are far more addictive than previously thought and doctors are being urged to assess their patients' level of risk before writing a prescription, News.Com reported.

The issue is whether opioid treatment is going to make an addict out of someone, says Professor Jane Ballantyne, a pain specialist at the University of Washington.

“A lot of people who get into trouble with opioids say the whole thing started when they were prescribed opioids for acute pain,” she told an Australian and New Zealand College of Anesthetists (ANZCA) conference in Singapore on Tuesday.

Opioids are safest when administered in hospital. However, it is common for codeine and oxycodone to be prescribed for out-patients after surgery, dental treatment or injuries.

“We used to say people would not become addicted, but unfortunately that's not true,” said Ballantyne.

Although only a minority of patients develop problems, it is essential for doctors to do a quick risk assessment for every patient.

Those most at risk include people with any history of substance abuse, including smoking. People with mental health issues like depression, anxiety and personality disorders are also vulnerable.

A big challenge is for doctors to determine the motives of a person who is already dependant. They could be seeking pain relief or need to relieve the symptoms of drug withdrawal.

Some patients go from doctor to doctor in search of prescriptions, often to sell the drugs for a profit. “My patients have in the past been caught outside the hospital selling their drugs,” Professor Ballantyne noticed.

“Most states in the U.S. now have a way of monitoring every prescription that is written. So it is becoming a habit, especially in the emergency room to look at patients records.”

All rights reserved

© AKIpress News Agency - 2001-2024.

Republication of any material is prohibited without a written agreement with AKIpress News Agency.

Any citation must be accompanied by a hyperlink to akipress.com.

Our address:

299/5 Chingiz Aitmatov Prosp., Bishkek, the Kyrgyz Republic

e-mail: english@akipress.org, akipressenglish@gmail.com;

Follow us:

Log in


Forgot your password? - recover

Not registered yet? - sign-up

Sign-up

I have an account - log in

Password recovery

I have an account - log in