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Irish Daily Mirror
3 days ago
- Health
- Irish Daily Mirror
More Irish people dependent on painkillers as opioid use rises by 25%
Doctors fear Irish people are becoming too dependent on pain medications, as prescriptions for opioids have risen by 25%. According to a new study, prescriptions for pain medicine have risen dramatically in Ireland compared to England. New research by RCSI University of Medicine and Health Science found that prescriptions for pain medicine among Irish medical card holders were up across the board in 2022 compared to 2014. While opioid scripts are up by 25%, prescriptions for paracetamol have doubled. Specific medicines including codeine and stronger opioids such as tapentadol and oxycodone increased by even higher percentages. Researchers say long waiting lists for orthopaedic surgery in Ireland, such as hip and knee replacements, could be to blame for the surge in prescriptions. The study, published in the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology, compared data from Irish medical card holders - which represent a third of the population - and all general practices in England. It found that while pain medication prescriptions are up significantly in Ireland, they are down in England. From 2014 to 2022, opioid prescriptions decreased by 19% and paracetamol by 34%. This means prescribing levels are substantially higher in the State compared to England: twice as high for opioids, four times higher for anti-inflammatories, and nearly five times higher for paracetamol. First author of the study Dr Molly Mattsson said: 'These results suggest a growing reliance on prescribing pharmacological treatments for pain in Ireland for the GMS (General Medical Services) patients we analysed. 'The trends raise important questions about healthcare access and the availability of non-drug options to manage pain, particularly for medical card holders who avail of public services.' The study noted that the disparity between the two countries could be down to all patients' data being included for England, while it's just medical card holders for Ireland. Older adults are overrepresented among the third of the population that hold medical cards. However, researchers said that the Irish and English health systems also take markedly different approaches to managing pain issues. In England, broad access to healthcare services including pain clinics and non-pharmacological interventions such as physical therapy through the NHS may help reduce reliance on medication. These services are less widely available in Ireland, particularly for medical card holders, which may be contributing to higher medication use. Senior Author Professor Frank Moriarty said: 'Many of these medications carry risks such as dependency which can be worsened by overprescribing. 'While medication can play an important role in treating pain, we must address issues like orthopaedic surgery waiting times and ensure Irish patients also have access to safe, evidence-based alternatives to medications. 'Access to data is equally vital to track how prescribing patterns evolve across this and other disease areas over time.' The professor at the RCSI School of Pharmacy and Biomolecular Sciences said extensive waiting lists for surgery in the Republic could likely result in decisions to prescribe stronger painkillers for longer than otherwise. He added that a patient's tolerance and dependence will increase over time, which can be worrying. Mr Moriarty said the researchers cannot say for certain how many of these prescriptions might be over-prescriptions or inappropriate prescriptions. The study was carried out in collaboration with the HSE's Quality and Patient Safety Directorate, University of Oxford, University College Cork and University College Dublin. For more of the latest breaking news from the Irish Mirror check out our homepage by clicking here
Irish Examiner
3 days ago
- Health
- Irish Examiner
Painkiller addiction warning as opioid prescriptions rise by 25% in eight years
The use of painkillers has jumped, with a 25% rise in opioid use and 50% increase in medication containing oxycodone, experts have said as they warn of addiction risks. They also found Irish people use far more pain medication than patients in England, and called for better access to other types of treatment here. Long waiting lists for orthopaedic care, such as knee operations, can leave people with severe chronic pain 'potentially waiting several years to be considered for joint replacement surgery' and relying on medication in the meantime, the study team also warned. The researchers, including Emma Wallace at University College Cork, looked at medicines given to patients with medical cards in Ireland between 2014 and 2022. Opioid use in Ireland up 25% In Ireland, the use of opioids rose by about 25% over the study period, while prescriptions for paracetamol rose by 50%. During that time, they saw a relative rise of 389% in the use of tapentadol found in brand name drugs such as Palexia. This is prescribed for severe chronic pain not responding to other painkillers. They also found a 104% rise in the use of amitriptyline (10mg). This can be given for pain, including migraines and rheumatic conditions. Oxycodone prescriptions up 50% Use of medication containing oxycodone also shot up by 50%. Oxycodone is also only given when other painkillers are not working. The data also shows a 59% increase in the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. These can include creams, sprays, and gels such as those sold under the brand names Voltaren or Solaraze. Irish painkiller use higher than in England In contrast, when the team looked at general practice patients in England, they found much lower use. For example, the dispensing rate for tapentadol was 26 times higher in Ireland. They acknowledged that medical card patients in Ireland include older people and people on lower incomes who would typically need more supports than a general population. However, they said: 'The discrepancy is likely too large to be fully accounted for by this.' The analysis also shows prescribing levels in Ireland compared to England were two times higher for opioids and four times higher for anti-inflammatories. They were nearly five times higher for paracetamol. Frank Moriarty, senior author and associate professor at the RCSI School of Pharmacy and Biomolecular Sciences, warned about the risks of this high use. He said: Many of these medications carry risks such as dependency, which can be worsened by overprescribing. 'While medication can play an important role in treating pain, we must address issues like orthopaedic surgery waiting times and ensure Irish patients also have access to safe, evidence-based alternatives to medications.' Professor Moriarty also called for better access to data so that these patterns can be analysed. Alternatives to drugs The research team pointed out that, in England, patients have better access to pain clinics and alternatives such as physical therapy. Molly Mattsson, lead author and a postdoctoral fellow at the RCSI School of Pharmacy and Biomolecular Sciences, highlighted the 'growing trend' towards reliance. 'The trends raise important questions about healthcare access and the availability of non-drug options to manage pain, particularly for medical card holders who avail of public services,' said Dr Mattsson. The study team also included the HSE's Quality and Patient Safety Directorate, the University of Oxford and University College Dublin. Overall, they recommended 'further research to understand the drivers for this high volume of use is required'. • The study is published in the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology.
BreakingNews.ie
4 days ago
- Health
- BreakingNews.ie
Use of prescription pain medication rises by 25%
The use of opioids has increased by around 25 per cent in Ireland. Research from the Royal College of Surgeons has found a sharp increase in the use of prescription pain medication between 2014 and 2022. Advertisement Prescriptions for paracetamol rose by 50 per cent, while codeine and stronger opioids increased by even higher percentages. The prescribing of pain medications by doctors has risen "significantly" in recent years, and is now outpacing England, according to the research. The study looked at figures from 2014 to 2022 for those with a medical card, and compared it with data from GP practices in England. The use of opioids rose 25 per cent in Ireland in that time, while specific medicines like codeine and oxycodone increased by even higher amounts. Frank Moriarty, Associate Professor at the RCSI, said this comes with risks. Prof Moriarty said: "These medications can when used long-term lead to the development of dependence and other side effects that can have an impact on patients' lives. "It's really important that in treating pain there are a variety of options available to patients to avail of and potentially reduce use of these dependence-forming medications."
The Journal
4 days ago
- Health
- The Journal
Sharp increase in prescription painkiller use in Ireland
PRESCRIBING OF PAIN medications in Ireland has risen significantly over the past decade, with usage rates now outpacing those in England, new research from RCSI reveals. In Ireland, the use of opioids increased by approximately 25% between 2014 and 2022, while prescriptions for paracetamol rose by 50%. Specific medicines like codeine and stronger opioids increased by even higher percentages. Tapentadol prescriptions rose by 389%, for example. By contrast, England experienced declining use across most classes of pain medications during the same timeframe. The findings are based on a comparison between prescribing data of medical card holders in Ireland – about a third of the population – and all patients at general practices in England. This may contribute to the notable disparity in figures, as older populations are over-represented among medical card holders here. However, it was still found that the Irish and English health systems take markedly different approaches to managing pain issues. Dr Molly Mattsson, who is the First Author of the study and a Postdoctoral Fellow at the RCSI School of Pharmacy and Biomolecular Sciences, said the results show a growing reliance on prescribing pharmacological treatments for pain in Ireland Advertisement 'The trends raise important questions about healthcare access and the availability of non-drug options to manage pain, particularly for medical card holders who avail of public services,' she said. The study says that in England there is 'broad access' to healthcare services including pain clinics and non-pharmacological interventions such as physical therapy through the NHS. These services are less accessible in Ireland, possibly contributing to a greater reliance on medication. In order to reduce the worrying trend, researchers say waiting lists need to be addressed. Orthopaedics currently has the highest number of individuals on outpatient waiting lists, with over 63 000 awaiting an appointment as of March 2024. Some patients with severe degenerative-related chronic pain wait years to be considered for joint replacement surgery, so they need strong analgesics in the meantime, the study says. 'Many of these medications carry risks such as dependency which can be worsened by overprescribing', said Professor Frank Moriarty, a senior author of the study. 'While medication can play an important role in treating pain, we must address issues like orthopaedic surgery waiting times and ensure Irish patients also have access to safe, evidence-based alternatives to medications.' Moriarty added that access to data is equally vital to track how prescribing patterns evolve over time. Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
