What you will get from this briefing
- Methods of supporting the safer prescribing of analgesics.
- Assessment of the role of analgesics in pain management.
Key findings
- Over recent years there have been significant increases in opioid prescribing for chronic pain, and the annual cost opioid prescribing in the UK has risen to over £330 million.
- Chronic pain is complex: An estimated 49% of patients in the UK suffering from chronic pain also suffer from depression.
- Pain management is best delivered by multidisciplinary teams, yet there is high variation in access to specialist pain management services across the UK.