Nearly 60% of providers expressed some level of comfort prescribing long-term opioids for patients, a study presented at PAINWeek found.
According toHunter Mace, BSc, a medical student at the University of Mississippi School of Medicine, and colleagues, previous studies have found reluctance among practitioners when prescribing opioids, even as pain management in patients poses a substantial burden.
Data derived from: Mace H, et al. Attitude of providers towards long-term opioid use for chronic pain. Presented at: PAINWEEK; Sept. 5-8, 2023.
“Anesthesia providers are at the forefront of providing pain management,” they wrote. “What modifiable beliefs and attitudes can help ensure appropriate pain control and avoid opioid misuse in this group of health care providers?”
The researchers aimed to determine providers’ attitudes of prescribing opioids for chronic pain — particularly in older populations — by evaluating anonymous survey responses from 52 members of an anesthesiology department in an academic center.
Of the cohort, 59% were men and 44% were aged between 30 and 44 years.
The researchers noted that 69% of the respondents regularly treated pain, and 67% were comfortable doing so.
Overall, 58% of respondents felt somewhat or very comfortable prescribing long-term opioids for patients, compared with 42% who felt somewhat or very uncomfortable about such prescribing.
Mace and colleagues also found that among respondents:
83% reported a concern with prescribing long-term opioids for chronic pain in situations with rising doses of opioids;
81% had concerns in patients with chemical dependency or addiction; and
54% had concerns with prescribing long-term opioids in the current legal environment.
Only approximately half of respondents said they had good knowledge of state or CDC opioid guidance, but most said they understood their institution’s opioid prescribing guidelines. According to the researchers, 56% of providers said they would not alter prescribing patterns when using opioids for pain management in adults aged 65 years and older.
The researchers said the findings were limited due to the cross-sectional method used in the study and because of the number of respondents. Future research “should utilize a larger sample,” they noted.
“Anesthesia providers felt that professional education, evidence-based prescription practices, and a trust-based patient relationship would significantly impact combating the opioid epidemic,” Mace and colleagues wrote. “Many anesthesia-based providers will follow the same rules as other adults when managing long-term opioids for chronic pain in older patients.”
