Co-prescription of opioids with benzodiazepine and other co-medications among opioid users: differential in opioid doses
Purpose: This study investigated the patterns of opioid co-prescription with benzodiazepine and other concomitant medications among opioid users. Opioid dose in each type of co-prescription was also examined. Patients and methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted among opioid users receiv...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English English |
| Published: |
Dove Medical Press Ltd.
2017
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://irep.iium.edu.my/55156/ http://irep.iium.edu.my/55156/ http://irep.iium.edu.my/55156/ http://irep.iium.edu.my/55156/3/55156.pdf http://irep.iium.edu.my/55156/4/55156-Co-prescription%20of%20opioids%20with%20benzodiazepine%20and%20other%20co-medications%20among%20opioid%20users_SCOPUS.pdf |
| Summary: | Purpose: This study investigated the patterns of opioid co-prescription with benzodiazepine and
other concomitant medications among opioid users. Opioid dose in each type of co-prescription
was also examined.
Patients and methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted among opioid users receiving
concomitant medications at an outpatient tertiary hospital setting in Malaysia. Opioid prescriptions
(morphine, fentanyl, oxycodone, dihydrocodeine and tramadol) that were co-prescribed with
other medications (opioid + benzodiazepines, opioid + antidepressants, opioid + anticonvulsants,
opioid + antipsychotics and opioid + hypnotics) dispensed from January 2013 to December
2014 were identified. The number of patients, number of co-prescriptions and the individual
mean opioid daily dose in each type of co-prescription were calculated.
Results: A total of 276 patients receiving 1059 co-prescription opioids with benzodiazepine
and other co-medications were identified during the study period. Of these, 12.3% of patients
received co-prescriptions of opioid + benzodiazepine, 19.3% received opioid + anticonvulsant,
6.3% received opioid + antidepressant and 10.9% received other co-prescriptions, including
antipsychotics and hypnotics. The individual mean opioid dose was <100 mg/d of morphine
equivalents in all types of co-prescriptions, and the dose ranged from 31 to 66 mg/d in the coprescriptions
of opioid + benzodiazepine.
Conclusion: Among the opioid users receiving concomitant medications, the co-prescriptions
of opioid with benzodiazepine were prescribed to 12.3% of patients, and the individual opioid
dose in this co-prescription was moderate. Other co-medications were also commonly used, and
their opioid doses were within the recommended dose. Future studies are warranted to evaluate
the adverse effect and clinical outcomes of the co-medications particularly in long-term opioid
users with chronic non-cancer pain. |
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