The experiences of people prescribed opioid pain medicines: Final v1.0
Research type
Research Study
Full title
A mixed methods study investigating the experiences, and information and support needs, of people prescribed opioids, and the role of community pharmacy
IRAS ID
289857
Contact name
Matthew J Boyd
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Nottingham
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
000, N/A
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 0 months, 1 days
Research summary
Opioids are morphine-type medicines which come from the opium poppy or are similar-to morphine. They are very effective for short-term pain, cancer pain, and pain at the end of life. Opioids are thought to be less useful for treating long-term non-cancer pain. Side effects are common and can be serious. People who take opioids for longer periods are at risk of tolerance (needing a higher dose to get the same effect), dependence (unable to cut down or stop without withdrawal effects), and addiction (uncontrollable use despite harmful consequences).
In the UK, opioid prescribing has increased substantially over the last two decades. Doses are higher and opioids are taken for longer, suggesting many people are at risk of harmful effects without useful pain relief. Research into opioid dependence and addiction has found people do not always fully understand the risks of these medicines at the start of treatment. Local Community Pharmacists could be used to improve information and support for those prescribed opioids.
This study aims to get a better understanding of the experiences of people prescribed opioids and their information and support needs, and to investigate whether information and support could be improved using Community Pharmacists. Findings may improve care for people prescribed opioids in the future.
The study will involve questionnaires and interviews with adults prescribed an opioid medicine for pain, not caused by cancer, for at least 3 months. Participants will be recruited from GP practices in England. The questionnaire and information about the study will be sent by post. Completing the questionnaire will take around 10 minutes. Interviews will take place online or by telephone and will last no longer than 1 hour.
The study is funded jointly by the University of Nottingham, Boots UK, and a National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Senior Investigator award.
REC name
South Central - Hampshire A Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
21/SC/0105
Date of REC Opinion
17 May 2021
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion