University of Bristol study reveals widespread prescription painkiller misuse by chronic pain patients

The University of Bristol-led study found that among chronic pain patients, nearly one in three had symptoms of opioid use disorder and dependency.

Study in UK: University of Bristol has conducted a scientific review of 148 studies on around 4.3 million adult chronic pain patients who were given opioid painkillers. It was found that one in 10 such people experiences dependence or opioid use disorder.

Kyla Thomas, Professor of Public Health Medicine at the University of Bristol and the study's lead author, explained, “Clinicians and policy makers need a more accurate estimate of the prevalence of problematic opioid use in pain patients so that they can gauge the true extent of the problem, change prescribing guidance if necessary, and develop and implement effective interventions to manage the problem. Knowing the size of the problem is a necessary step to managing it.”

This review offers a more concerning and accurate rate of opioid misuse. National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) funded this study. It revealed that the claim by companies like Oxycontin manufacturer Purdue Pharma that fewer than 1% of opioid prescriptions result in dependency and other problems are highly understate the risks of these medicines.

The study was divided into four general categories - dependence and opioid use disorder, aberrant behavior, signs and symptoms of dependence and opioid use disorder, and at risk of dependence and opioid use disorder.

Lecturer Dr Jo Hartland named National Teaching Fellow

National Teaching Fellow is the most prestigious award in UK higher education for teachers. University of Bristol lecturer Dr Jo Hartland has bagged this for his groundbreaking work in healthcare education. He is a Senior Lecturer and Deputy Education Director at the university and his teaching focuses on the bias in healthcare, causes of health inequity, and inclusion of marginalised people in the health curriculum.

While commenting on this award, he said, “I have spent a lot of my career feeling a little like I sit on the periphery of what is accepted as ‘academic’ within academia. This is a lovely recognition that education focused on the needs of those most marginalized can be celebrated, and not just demonised.”

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