Use of opioids in the treatment of chronic non-cancer pain
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Use of opioids in the treatment of chronic non-cancer pain and aberrant drug related behaviour – A prospective cohort study
IRAS ID
178740
Contact name
Gideon Kotey
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
North Middlesex University Hospital
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 11 months, 30 days
Research summary
Use of opioids in the management of chronic non-cancer pain and aberrant drug related behaviour (ADRB) – a prospective cohort study
Chronic pain is a significant problem affecting many millions of people worldwide. It is estimated that about 1 in 7 people of the general population suffer from some form of persistent pain. The median duration of suffering is estimated to be about 7 years. 60% of patients surveyed in a study have suffered for more than 2 years. 21% of patients with chronic pain from the survey had suffered for more than 20 years. One third of patients experience constant pain and one-third feel they cannot tolerate any more pain. The elderly suffer most from chronic pain and majority of chronic pain is musculoskeletal pain according to (Breivik, Collett, Ventafridda, Cohen, & Gallacher 2006, p. 287) and also (Zagari, Mazonson, & Longton 1996, p. 356) Chronic pain is associated with anxiety, depression, loss of independence and interference with work.
I propose to: 1) use a screening tool that has already been validated to collect data on patients with chronic non-cancer pain before and after treatment with opioid medication.
2) To evaluate and compare results (proportion of patients with aberrant drug related behaviour) of opioid-naive patients before and after treatment with opioids in general.
3) To evaluate and compare results (proportion of patients with aberrant drug related behaviour) of patients on weak opioids before and after treatment with strong opioids.This study should help to determine if there is a significant increase in aberrant drug-related behavior when chronic pain patients are treated with opioids in general. It will also attempt to answer the question for the first time, if the potential risk of drug misuse problem is different for weak and strong opioids. The extent of the problem of aberrant drug-related behavior in chronic non-cancer pain patients in the UK is not known.
REC name
London - City & East Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
16/LO/1722
Date of REC Opinion
27 Sep 2016
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion