Table 6.
Degree to which pharmacological recommendations can improve health.
| Chronic Pain Patients (P1 to P20) | P1 | P2 | P3 | P4 | P5 | P6 | P7 | P8 | P9 | P10 | P11 | P12 | P13 | P14 | P15 | P16 | P17 | P18 | P19 | P20 | Frequency |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Items Questionnaire (R1 to R10) | * Scale | ||||||||||||||||||||
| R1 Take pain relief medication on a regular schedule to help manage pain. Take your medication just as prescribed, even when you don’t feel pain. | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 5 | NA | 67 |
| R2 Don’t miss doses of the prescribed medication. The more pain you feel, the harder it will be to manage. | 4 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 84 |
| R3 If the pain is sudden, use fast-acting medication as prescribed by your doctor. Don’t wait until the pain intensifies; if you do, it can be harder to control. | 3 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 69 |
| R4 Make sure only one doctor prescribes pain relief medications. If another one changes the medicine, the two doctors should discuss the treatment together. | 5 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 92 |
| R5 Make sure you don’t run out of pain relief medications. Remember that prescriptions are needed to obtain opiate painkillers. Doctors cannot order them and pharmacies do not always have them in stock. It may take a few days for you to get the medicine, so include delays in planning. | 5 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 91 |
| R6 Never take medications that were prescribed to others. Medications that were effective for a friend or family member may not be appropriate for your situation. | 4 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 90 |
| R7 Don’t use medications that have expired or were used to treat other health problems. Medications that were effective in the past may not be suitable now. | 5 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 91 |
| R8 Painkillers affect different people in different ways. A very small dose may be effective for you, while others may require a much higher dose to relieve pain. | 5 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 2 | 68 |
| R9 Remember that your pain management plan may be modified from time to time. | 4 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 83 |
| R10 Other pharmacological recommendations (briefly describe the recommendation in the box below and indicate the degree to which you think it can improve your health). | NA | 3 | 4 | 4 | NA | NA | 3 | NA | 4 | NA | 3 | NA | NA | 4 | NA | 4 | NA | 3 | NA | NA | 32 |
* Hight (5 to 4); Moderate (3 to 2); Low (1 to 0); Do not answer (NA).