Association of opioid prescribing practices with chronic pain and benzodiazepine co-prescription: a primary care data linkage study

Nicola Torrance; R. Mansoor; H. Wang; S. Gilbert; G. J. MacFarlane; M. Serpell; A. Baldacchino; T. G. Hales; P. Donnan; G. Wyper; B. H Smith; L. Colvin

doi:10.1016/j.bja.2018.02.022

Association of opioid prescribing practices with chronic pain and benzodiazepine co-prescription: a primary care data linkage study

Nicola Torrance, R. Mansoor, H. Wang, S. Gilbert, G. J. MacFarlane, M. Serpell, A. Baldacchino, T. G. Hales, P. Donnan, G. Wyper, B. H Smith, L. Colvin

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

49 Citations (Scopus)

11 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

Background: Opioid prescribing is increasing worldwide with associated increases in misuse and other harms. We studied variations in national opioid prescription rates, indicators of prescribing quality, co-prescribing of benzodiazepines and relationship with pain severity in Scotland.

Methods: Electronic linkages of opioid prescribing in Scotland were determined from: (i) national data from Information Services Division, NHS Scotland (2003e2012); and (ii) individual data from Generation Scotland: Scottish Family Health Study. Descriptive analyses were conducted on national data, multilevel modelling to examine factors associated with variations in prescribing rates. c2 tests examined associations between individual pain severity and opioid prescriptions.

Results: The number of strong opioid prescriptions more than doubled from 474 385 in 2003 to 1 036 446 in 2012, and weak opioid prescribing increased from 3 261 547 to 4 852 583. In Scotland, 938 674 individuals were prescribed an opioid in 2012 (18% of the population). Patients in the most deprived areas were 3.5 times more likely to receive a strong opioid than patients in the least deprived. There was significant variation in prescribing rates between geographical areas, with much of this explained by deprivation. Of women aged 25e40 yr prescribed a strong opioid, 40% were also prescribed a benzodiazepine. There was significant association between pain severity and receipt of opioid prescription. Over 50% of people reporting severe pain were not prescribed an opioid analgesic.

Conclusions: We found opioid prescribing in primary care to be common and increasing in Scotland, particularly for severe pain. Co-prescribing of opioids and benzodiazepines, was common.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	1345-1355
Number of pages	11
Journal	British Journal of Anaesthesia
Volume	120
Issue number	6
Early online date	21 Mar 2018
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bja.2018.02.022
Publication status	Published - Jun 2018

Bibliographical note

We acknowledge the input and participation of patients and third sector organisations in the development of this project through the Scottish Pain Research Community. We thank J. Caldwell and I. Bishop of eDRIS at ISD Scotland for their advice and expertise with the national prescribing datasets. We are grateful to the families who took part in GS:SFHS, the GPs and Scottish School of Primary Care for their help in recruiting them, and the whole Generation Scotland team, which includes academic researchers, clinic staff, laboratory technicians, clerical workers, statisticians, and research managers.
Funding
Chief Scientist Office, part of the Scottish Government Health Directorates (CZH-4-429).

Keywords

benzodiazepines
chronic pain
data linkage
general practice
opioids

Access to Document

10.1016/j.bja.2018.02.022Licence: Unspecified

Accepted Manuscript
© 2018. This manuscript version is made available under the CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 license http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/
Accepted author manuscript, 802 KBLicence: CC BY-NC-ND

Gary Macfarlane
Person: Clinical Academic

Cite this

Torrance, N., Mansoor, R., Wang, H., Gilbert, S., MacFarlane, G. J., Serpell, M., Baldacchino, A., Hales, T. G., Donnan, P., Wyper, G., Smith, B. H., & Colvin, L. (2018). Association of opioid prescribing practices with chronic pain and benzodiazepine co-prescription: a primary care data linkage study. British Journal of Anaesthesia, 120(6), 1345-1355. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bja.2018.02.022

Torrance, N, Mansoor, R, Wang, H, Gilbert, S, MacFarlane, GJ, Serpell, M, Baldacchino, A, Hales, TG, Donnan, P, Wyper, G, Smith, BH & Colvin, L 2018, 'Association of opioid prescribing practices with chronic pain and benzodiazepine co-prescription: a primary care data linkage study', British Journal of Anaesthesia, vol. 120, no. 6, pp. 1345-1355. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bja.2018.02.022

@article{dd496a939dae47c98eb9ab4b2a85126d,

title = "Association of opioid prescribing practices with chronic pain and benzodiazepine co-prescription: a primary care data linkage study",

abstract = "Background: Opioid prescribing is increasing worldwide with associated increases in misuse and other harms. We studied variations in national opioid prescription rates, indicators of prescribing quality, co-prescribing of benzodiazepines and relationship with pain severity in Scotland.Methods: Electronic linkages of opioid prescribing in Scotland were determined from: (i) national data from Information Services Division, NHS Scotland (2003e2012); and (ii) individual data from Generation Scotland: Scottish Family Health Study. Descriptive analyses were conducted on national data, multilevel modelling to examine factors associated with variations in prescribing rates. c2 tests examined associations between individual pain severity and opioid prescriptions.Results: The number of strong opioid prescriptions more than doubled from 474 385 in 2003 to 1 036 446 in 2012, and weak opioid prescribing increased from 3 261 547 to 4 852 583. In Scotland, 938 674 individuals were prescribed an opioid in 2012 (18% of the population). Patients in the most deprived areas were 3.5 times more likely to receive a strong opioid than patients in the least deprived. There was significant variation in prescribing rates between geographical areas, with much of this explained by deprivation. Of women aged 25e40 yr prescribed a strong opioid, 40% were also prescribed a benzodiazepine. There was significant association between pain severity and receipt of opioid prescription. Over 50% of people reporting severe pain were not prescribed an opioid analgesic.Conclusions: We found opioid prescribing in primary care to be common and increasing in Scotland, particularly for severe pain. Co-prescribing of opioids and benzodiazepines, was common.",

keywords = "benzodiazepines, chronic pain, data linkage, general practice, opioids",

author = "Nicola Torrance and R. Mansoor and H. Wang and S. Gilbert and MacFarlane, {G. J.} and M. Serpell and A. Baldacchino and Hales, {T. G.} and P. Donnan and G. Wyper and Smith, {B. H} and L. Colvin",

note = "We acknowledge the input and participation of patients and third sector organisations in the development of this project through the Scottish Pain Research Community. We thank J. Caldwell and I. Bishop of eDRIS at ISD Scotland for their advice and expertise with the national prescribing datasets. We are grateful to the families who took part in GS:SFHS, the GPs and Scottish School of Primary Care for their help in recruiting them, and the whole Generation Scotland team, which includes academic researchers, clinic staff, laboratory technicians, clerical workers, statisticians, and research managers. Funding Chief Scientist Office, part of the Scottish Government Health Directorates (CZH-4-429).",

year = "2018",

month = jun,

doi = "10.1016/j.bja.2018.02.022",

language = "English",

volume = "120",

pages = "1345--1355",

journal = "British Journal of Anaesthesia",

issn = "0007-0912",

publisher = "ELSEVIER APPL SCI PUBL LTD",

number = "6",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Association of opioid prescribing practices with chronic pain and benzodiazepine co-prescription

T2 - a primary care data linkage study

AU - Torrance, Nicola

AU - Mansoor, R.

AU - Wang, H.

AU - Gilbert, S.

AU - MacFarlane, G. J.

AU - Serpell, M.

AU - Baldacchino, A.

AU - Hales, T. G.

AU - Donnan, P.

AU - Wyper, G.

AU - Smith, B. H

AU - Colvin, L.

N1 - We acknowledge the input and participation of patients and third sector organisations in the development of this project through the Scottish Pain Research Community. We thank J. Caldwell and I. Bishop of eDRIS at ISD Scotland for their advice and expertise with the national prescribing datasets. We are grateful to the families who took part in GS:SFHS, the GPs and Scottish School of Primary Care for their help in recruiting them, and the whole Generation Scotland team, which includes academic researchers, clinic staff, laboratory technicians, clerical workers, statisticians, and research managers. Funding Chief Scientist Office, part of the Scottish Government Health Directorates (CZH-4-429).

PY - 2018/6

Y1 - 2018/6

N2 - Background: Opioid prescribing is increasing worldwide with associated increases in misuse and other harms. We studied variations in national opioid prescription rates, indicators of prescribing quality, co-prescribing of benzodiazepines and relationship with pain severity in Scotland.Methods: Electronic linkages of opioid prescribing in Scotland were determined from: (i) national data from Information Services Division, NHS Scotland (2003e2012); and (ii) individual data from Generation Scotland: Scottish Family Health Study. Descriptive analyses were conducted on national data, multilevel modelling to examine factors associated with variations in prescribing rates. c2 tests examined associations between individual pain severity and opioid prescriptions.Results: The number of strong opioid prescriptions more than doubled from 474 385 in 2003 to 1 036 446 in 2012, and weak opioid prescribing increased from 3 261 547 to 4 852 583. In Scotland, 938 674 individuals were prescribed an opioid in 2012 (18% of the population). Patients in the most deprived areas were 3.5 times more likely to receive a strong opioid than patients in the least deprived. There was significant variation in prescribing rates between geographical areas, with much of this explained by deprivation. Of women aged 25e40 yr prescribed a strong opioid, 40% were also prescribed a benzodiazepine. There was significant association between pain severity and receipt of opioid prescription. Over 50% of people reporting severe pain were not prescribed an opioid analgesic.Conclusions: We found opioid prescribing in primary care to be common and increasing in Scotland, particularly for severe pain. Co-prescribing of opioids and benzodiazepines, was common.

AB - Background: Opioid prescribing is increasing worldwide with associated increases in misuse and other harms. We studied variations in national opioid prescription rates, indicators of prescribing quality, co-prescribing of benzodiazepines and relationship with pain severity in Scotland.Methods: Electronic linkages of opioid prescribing in Scotland were determined from: (i) national data from Information Services Division, NHS Scotland (2003e2012); and (ii) individual data from Generation Scotland: Scottish Family Health Study. Descriptive analyses were conducted on national data, multilevel modelling to examine factors associated with variations in prescribing rates. c2 tests examined associations between individual pain severity and opioid prescriptions.Results: The number of strong opioid prescriptions more than doubled from 474 385 in 2003 to 1 036 446 in 2012, and weak opioid prescribing increased from 3 261 547 to 4 852 583. In Scotland, 938 674 individuals were prescribed an opioid in 2012 (18% of the population). Patients in the most deprived areas were 3.5 times more likely to receive a strong opioid than patients in the least deprived. There was significant variation in prescribing rates between geographical areas, with much of this explained by deprivation. Of women aged 25e40 yr prescribed a strong opioid, 40% were also prescribed a benzodiazepine. There was significant association between pain severity and receipt of opioid prescription. Over 50% of people reporting severe pain were not prescribed an opioid analgesic.Conclusions: We found opioid prescribing in primary care to be common and increasing in Scotland, particularly for severe pain. Co-prescribing of opioids and benzodiazepines, was common.

KW - benzodiazepines

KW - chronic pain

KW - data linkage

KW - general practice

KW - opioids

U2 - 10.1016/j.bja.2018.02.022

DO - 10.1016/j.bja.2018.02.022

M3 - Article

SN - 0007-0912

VL - 120

SP - 1345

EP - 1355

JO - British Journal of Anaesthesia

JF - British Journal of Anaesthesia

IS - 6

ER -

Association of opioid prescribing practices with chronic pain and benzodiazepine co-prescription: a primary care data linkage study

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Keywords

Access to Document

Fingerprint

Profiles

Gary Macfarlane

Cite this