Opioids and Pain

Please note- The EPG Opioids and Pain Knowledge Centre is for Doctors and other Healthcare Professionals.

The Pain in Europe survey¹ revealed the truly shocking nature, prevalence and impact of chronic pain in Europe and its devastating human, economic and social impact.

Types of chronic pain include both cancer and non-cancer pain. Pain is the single most common reason for consultation with a general practitioner and is the most frequent symptom in hospital practice.²  Pain is also an individual experience and can be measured in a number of ways.

In Europe, the main activities affected by pain are exercising, sleeping, lifting, walking, carrying out chores, having sexual relations and working outside the home.¹

Chronic pain management can be managed through opioid therapy. However, before initiating opioid therapy, it is important that all patients undergo a thorough physical, psychological and functional examination, to ensure the management regimen is appropriate.

It is important to maintain frequent interaction between the doctor, healthcare team and patient on an ongoing basis to effectively monitor the dosage, side effects and funtional outcomes.

Other drugs that are widely used to control pain include paracetamol and NSAID's. 

Enter the Opioids and Pain Knowledge Centre

What’s in the Opioids and Pain Knowledge Centre?

• Prevalence of chronic pain
• Types of chronic pain
• Pain measurement
• Effects
  
• Initiating opioid therapy
• Monitoring
• Medication
• Additional and complementary therapy
• Opioids
• History
• Classification
• Why opioids?
• Administration
• Use in palliative care
• Adverse effects
• Misconceptions
• Web links
• Downloads
• Multimedia

References:
1. Breivik H, Collett B, Ventafridda V, et al. Survey of chronic pain in Europe: prevalence, impact on daily life, and treatment. Eur J Pain 2006; 10:287-333.
2. MIMS Handbook of pain management. London: Haymarket Medical Imprint; 2006.