Opioids for Persistent Pain: Overview and Evidence course
This is the first of two sessions covering the use of oral and transdermal opioids for persistent pain (also referred to as chronic, chronic non-cancer or long term pain). Opioids have proven benefit for treating acute pain and in palliative care, however, the use of opioid medicines in those conditions will not be covered in this session. This session provides an overview of the evidence for using opioids to treat persistent pain, including commonly used opioid medicines, their effectiveness and side effects.
By the end of this session, you will be able to:
- Describe the opioid medicines commonly used for managing persistent pain
- Discuss the effectiveness of opioids when used for persistent pain
- List the common adverse effects of opioid medicines
Strong opioids should always be used as part of a multimodal strategy for pain management utilising non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and/or non-opioid painkillers, and/or non-pharmacological interventions when appropriate. It is important to review the risks and benefits of continued opioid therapy on a regular basis.
Emma Davies has been an Advanced Pharmacist Practitioner in Pain for over 12 years. She provides primary care clinics which, although covering medication management, take a holistic approach to supporting people to live effectively with pain. In addition, she teaches, develops guidelines and educational materials and provides advice to the Welsh Government on pain management, as well as being a regular contributor to professional journals.
Co-founder of the livewellwithpain.co.uk website; Emma is also currently studying for a PhD, examining trends in opioid prescribing and healthcare resource utilisation in Wales.
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