Journal of medical toxicology : official journal of the American College of Medical Toxicology
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Prescription opioid analgesic misuse and addiction are a significant public health concern in the USA. Through their concurrent roles as prescribers and public health stewards, medical toxicologists (MTs) have a unique perspective on this issue. They represent a physician group with a particular interest in prescription drug monitoring programs (PDMPs) because of their subspecialty knowledge of the negative consequences of opioid overprescribing in terms of misuse, diversion, addiction, and overdose death. ⋯ Barriers to use included time and complexity required to access relevant information. MTs prescribe opioids primarily to patients in the Emergency Department (ED) for acute pain or acute exacerbations of chronic pain. MTs are generally aware of PDMPs, although many were unaware of or not using their state-based PDMPs when prescribing opioids in clinical practice.
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Opioid analgesic misuse has risen significantly over the past two decades, and these drugs now represent the most commonly abused class of prescription medications. They are a major cause of poisoning deaths in the USA exceeding heroin and cocaine. Laboratory testing plays a role in the detection of opioid misuse and the evaluation of patients with opioid intoxication. ⋯ The sensitivity of testing methods also varies considerably across the spectrum of opioid drugs. An understanding of opioid metabolism and method sensitivity towards different opioid drugs is therefore essential to effective use of these tests. Improved testing algorithms and more research into the effective use of drug testing in the clinical setting, particularly in pain medicine and substance abuse, are needed.
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Opioid analgesics have been used increasingly over the past 20 years for the management of chronic non-cancer pain in the USA under the assumption that they were safe and effective when used as directed. The accuracy of that assumption has not been tested against accumulated evidence. The safety of opioids used on a long-term basis has not been tested in clinical trials. ⋯ Epidemiologic evidence suggests that long-term use does not result in improvement in function or quality of life while being associated with significant dropout rates and a high prevalence of adverse drug effects. Substantial fractions of patients are not using opioid analgesics as directed, while millions of US residents are using them without a prescription for nonmedical reasons. A prudent treatment approach consistent with the available evidence would be to reserve chronic opioid therapy for serious pain-related problems for which the effectiveness of opioids has been demonstrated and for patients whose use as directed is assured through close monitoring and for whom an explicit, informed calculation has been made that the benefits of opioids outweigh the risks.
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While opioids remain a valid and effective analgesic strategy for patients suffering from a wide variety of painful conditions, they are not a panacea. Increasingly, physicians must balance patient expectations of adequate pain control with known limitations of opioid pharmaceuticals including adverse effects, tolerance, addiction, withdrawal, and drug diversion. Further complicating the issue over the last decade is a growing body of evidence suggesting chronic opioid use may unexpectedly worsen the perception of pain in some individuals. ⋯ Animal studies reliably validate OIH in controlled models. Rigorous research protocols in humans are lacking, and we cannot yet confidently conclude that OIH manifests in clinically significant ways. However, clinicians should consider the possibility of OIH when evaluating outcomes of patients on chronic opioid therapy.