Study calls for limiting overprescribing of opioids to cut misuse, overdose

Overprescribing is the direct cause of opioid misuse and overdoses for people who don't know how to dispose the medicines safely, according to a study.

A team of researchers from the Network of Canadian Emergency conducted a study at seven emergency departments in Canada to evaluate the ideal quantity of the dosage to reduce misuse and control pain in patients.

Dr. Raoul Daoust, a clinical professor and researcher at the University of Montreal believes that it is imperative to check on the prescription practices to prevent any unwarranted consequences.

The study cited that more than 7,500 people died of opioid overdoses in Canada in 2021, and over 68,000 people in the US in 2020.

“It is important to adapt opioid prescription practices to patients’ analgesic needs for specific acute pain conditions,” Dr. Raoul said.

He also suggested “minimising the number of unused opioid tablets that can be diverted or misused”.

The team conducted the study on 2,240 participants, the average age being 51 who were asked to maintain a diary for 14 days on their consumption of opioids.

They were also followed up to check for the amount of pills they took (converted to 5 mg morphine per tablet).

The results, published in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal), show that 63 per cent of these medicines were not used and the prescription was of 16 tablets, with 50 per cent consuming fewer than five tablets, although the quantity varied for the pain condition.

It also showed that the consumption of opioids was low, half of patients consumed fewer than five tablets, and consumption varied significantly by type of pain condition.