Predicting long-term treatment with short-acting opioids: the role of general practice consultations and sociodemographic factors.

Abstract

Long-term treatment with short-acting opioids is not recommended for patients with chronic nonmalignant pain. General practitioners should assess patient's risk of developing long-term treatment prior to prescribing. To identify predictors of long-term opioid treatment among adults with nonmalignant pain initiating treatment with short-acting opioids, focusing on general practice consultations and sociodemographic factors. A national register-based repeated cross-sectional linear probability model was employed. The study population comprises adult, nonmalignant pain patients who initiated short-acting opioid treatment during the first half of 2019, resided continuously in Denmark throughout the study period, and survived 6 months postindex date (N = 133,291). The risk of developing long-term treatment with short-acting opioids was higher among patients with a higher frequency of remote consultations prior to treatment initiation and among those aged 40-59 or ≥80 years, those residing in the Capital or Zealand Region, those with low income or low educational attainment, those unemployed or retired, and those living alone. Higher frequency of remote consultations prior to treatment initiation and several sociodemographic factors were associated with a higher probability of developing long-term treatment with short-acting opioids. These predictors should be considered when prescribing short-acting opioids to adults with chronic nonmalignant pain.