Table 3.
Opioid and co-prescribed medications
| Newly diagnosed (n=53) [N (%)] | Established (n=211) [N (%)] | All (n=264) [N (%)] | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Strong opioid analgesic | 7 (13) | 37 (18) | 44 (17) |
| Buprenorphine a | 3 (6) | 23 (11) | 26 (10) |
| Morphine | 3 (6) | 11 (5) | 14 (5) |
| Fentanyl patch | 1 (2) | 9 (4) | 10 (4) |
| Oxycodone | 0 | 9 (4) | 9 (4) |
| Weak opioid analgesic | 35 (66) | 126 (60) | 161 (61) |
| Tramadol b | 26 (49) | 84 (40) | 110 (42) |
| Tramadol and paracetamol | – | 12 (6) | 12 (4) |
| Codeine | 9 (17) | 27 (13) | 36 (14) |
| Dihydrocodeine | 10 (19) | 24 (11) | 34 (13) |
| Meptazinol | 0 | 1 (0.5) | 1 (0.4) |
| Co-prescribed medication | 31 (58) | 114 (54) | 145 (55) |
| Laxative | 27 (51) | 81 (38) | 108 (41) |
| Gastro-protective agent | 27 (51) | 101 (48) | 128 (48) |
| Anti-emetic | 4 (8) | 26 (12) | 30 (11) |
Opioids have been classified according to British National Formulary (BNF) (British Medical Association and the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain, 2010).
a
Buprenorphine is classified as a strong opioid analgesic, but it is recognised that low dose patches may be included and would more appropriately be classified as weak opioids. As dose was not recorded in this study drugs cannot be presented by strength.
b
Tramadol and Tramacet are classified as weak opioids in BNF 59; it is recognised that tramadol is only considered a strong opioid at high doses (⩾400 mg daily), also that the maximum recommended daily dose of Tramacet includes 300 mg/day of tramadol.