A new position paper from researchers at the University of Aberdeen warns that opioid use disorder in the U.K. is a "large and probably underestimated" problem, and that without urgent action, opioid addiction and opioid-related deaths will continue to rise.
The authors argue that pain medicine must be redefined as a front-line tool in preventing and treating opioid addiction. They suggest that people prescribed opioids and those using illicit opioids need more support from health care providers.
The paper, published recently in the European Journal of Pain, calls for tighter limits on opioid dose and duration, reduced pack sizes, stronger opioid stewardship across the NHS and a more patient-centered approach. It also urges clinicians to identify opioid use disorder and related mental health issues earlier, communicate in ways that reduce stigma, continue opioid-agonist therapy during acute care and use different approaches to pain relief. Further recommendations emphasize the need for coordinated follow-up between addiction services and primary care to ensure continuity of treatment.
Professor Patrice Forget, clinical chair in anesthesia at the University of Aberdeen and honorary consultant at NHS Grampian, who co-wrote the paper following more than 20 years of working in medicine, said the scale of the issue is still not fully recognized. "The problem is large and is probably largely underestimated. People taking prescription opioids may experience many more problems than currently estimated, and rather than being stigmatized, they need more support. Pain in people using illicit opioids is also largely unaddressed."
