OUTPATIENT OPIOID PRESCRIBING FOR CHRONIC NON-CANCER PAIN: ASSESSMENT OF INDICATIONS, EFFICACY AND SAFETY

Brittain McJunkin, MD, Suzanne Kemper, MPH, Baby Kodali, MD, Srivani Chunchulu,MD, Benjamin Smith, MS 4, Nirmita Shah, MD
2016 West Virginia Medical Journal  
The purpose was to evaluate our ongoing outpatient opioid prescribing in regard to indications, efficacy, and safety, and to compare with current guidelines. Records of clinic outpatients were reviewed for year 2014. Demographic and clinical features were compared between opioid and non-opioid treated groups, indications for opioid prescribing, opioids used, doses, efficacy, and safety. Two hundred-thirteen patients were studied (Mean age 54.0 ± 13.0 years, 49.8% male). 153 (71.8 %) had chronic
more » ... non-cancer pain. Of these, 78 (51.0 %) had been eventually prescribed opioids. Mean daily morphine milligram equivalent dose was 49.6 ± 40.1 mg. Pain appeared satisfactorily controlled in 41 (52.6%), inadequately controlled in 30 (38.5%), and unclear in 7 (9.0%). No overdoses or opioid related deaths occurred. Opioid prescribing was appropriate within most current guideline parameters. A morphine milligram equivalent dose of about 50 mgs daily appears to be a threshold dose which can safely provide adequate analgesia in a significant proportion of patients.
doi:10.21885/wvmj.2016.17 fatcat:siz4tjzh7nfhba7ezllmp4xl6i