Exploration of change in persistence patterns of opioid use among patients with non-cancer and cancer pain over a three-year follow-up period

Abdullah Sani, Asween Rowena and Zin, Che Suraya and Mohamed, Abdul Hadi and Izat, Munira and Tan, Hung Ling and Ng, Kim Swan and Nissen, Lisa M. and Ng, Kim Swan (2019) Exploration of change in persistence patterns of opioid use among patients with non-cancer and cancer pain over a three-year follow-up period. Journal of Pharmacy Practice and Research, xx (xx). pp. 1-25. ISSN 2055-2335 (In Press)

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Abstract

Background: Little is known about the different patterns of persistent opioid use and whether the patterns of clinical opioid use remain the same throughout the long-term opioid therapy. Aim: This study explores the different patterns of persistent opioid use and the change in these patterns over time in patients with non-cancer and cancer pain. Method: This retrospective cross-sectional study included patients with non-cancer and cancer pain receiving opioid prescriptions during 2013-2015 at outpatient tertiary hospital settings in Malaysia. A three-dimensional persistence measure consisting of treatment intensity, frequency and distribution were used to define persistent opioid users as wide (use opioids most of the days in a year), intermediate (use opioids daily) or strict (use opioids continuously to achieve a therapeutic concentration) users. The number of patients in each persistence definition and the change in persistence patterns over time was recorded. Results: Majority of persistent opioid users in the non-cancer and cancer groups were in the wide (9.3% vs.4.8%), followed by intermediate (3.1% vs.0.5%), and strict (1.8% vs.0.9%) definitions. Over a three-year study duration, change to a less stringent persistence definition was observed in the non-cancer group whereas no discernible pattern of change was observed in the cancer group. Conclusion: Change in the patterns of clinical opioid use over time was detected among persistent opioid users in both non-cancer and cancer groups using a three-dimensional persistence measure. This measure which is sensitive to the changes in clinical use of opioids over time can greatly impact future research and practices for better pain management involving opioids.

Item Type:	Article (Journal)
Additional Information:	4127/71530
Uncontrolled Keywords:	cancer pain, medication persistence, opioids, pain, pain management, persistence patterns, non-cancer pain
Subjects:	R Medicine > RM Therapeutics. Pharmacology R Medicine > RM Therapeutics. Pharmacology > RM147 Administration of Drugs and Other Therapeutic Agents
Kulliyyahs/Centres/Divisions/Institutes (Can select more than one option. Press CONTROL button):	Kulliyyah of Pharmacy > Department of Pharmacy Practice Kulliyyah of Pharmacy
Depositing User:	Prof Dr Che Suraya Mohd Zin
Date Deposited:	10 Apr 2019 11:14
Last Modified:	13 Jul 2020 11:23
URI:	http://irep.iium.edu.my/id/eprint/71530

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