Opioid analgesics

MHRA consults on reclassifying codeine linctus as a prescription-only medicine

The Commission on Human Medicines previously said that codeine linctus is being used as an ingredient of 'purple drank', an illegal recreational drink that has been popularised through social media and music.…

‘Painkillers don’t exist’: how our campaign helped to reduce opioid prescribing

Educating patients on the risks of analgesics and non-pharmacological alternatives has helped North East and North Cumbria Integrated Care Board reduce opioid prescribing.…

Drug-related deaths among people treated for opioid dependence more than treble in ten years, study finds

Analysis of Scottish data found that there were fewer drug-related deaths among people with opioid dependence who were receiving treatment than those who were not receiving treatment.…

One in five patients stop taking opioids for chronic pain after group support intervention, finds study

Of patients assigned to participate in group and 1-on-1 support sessions as part of their care, 29% had stopped taking opioids at the 12-month follow up, compared with 7% who received usual care.…

Give prescribers access to non-drug alternatives to antidepressants and opioids, says NHS

In a new framework, NHS England recommends alternative treatment options, such as psychotherapy, health coaching and pain or sleep clinics, are commissioned locally.…

Buprenorphine initiation in community pharmacy ‘feasible’ for opioid withdrawal, concludes study

Community pharmacies can safely initiate patients on buprenorphine for opioid dependence and are likely to keep them engaged with treatment for longer, according to results of a small study.…

Should we be genetic testing before prescribing analgesics?

Managing pain is difficult because there are various factors that can influence how it is perceived, but pharmacogenomic testing may be able to help fine tune pharmaceutical interventions.…

Patients in most deprived areas are 50% more likely to be prescribed dependency-forming drugs, finds NHS report 

In 2021/2022, 1.80 million patients were prescribed dependency-forming medicines, such as opioids and gabapentinoids, in England's most deprived areas, 1.66 times more than the 1.09 million in the least deprived areas.…

Management of postoperative pain

How to effectively manage pain following surgery to promote recovery, reduce the risk of side effects and dependency, and make best use of pharmacological and non-pharmacological measures.…

Long-term opioid prescribing rates rose by almost a third during the COVID-19 pandemic

Exclusive: "Worrying" NHS data show a dramatic escalation in the number of patients prescribed opioids for longer than three months.…