Choosing Wisely Australia has created a resource for use in hospitals to help improve patients’ knowledge about opioids.
Part of a global campaign encouraging better information sharing between practitioners and patients, to mitigate unnecessary tests and treatments, Choosing Wisely Australia said Australian patients are not provided with enough information when discharged with opioids from hospital.
The claim is based on a recent study, published by the ANZ Journal of Surgery, which found patients discharged from an Australian metropolitan hospital often had false expectations that they would be pain-free with opioids, did not understand the risks associated with opioids and expected to continue to use opioids indefinitely.
Another survey, released by National Prescribing Service (NPS) MedicineWise which facilitates Choosing Wisely in Australia, supported these findings, with just 37% of NPS study respondents saying they understood the long-term impact of opioids.
“Helping medical practitioners and consumers to develop pain management plans that work is essential to achieve changes in attitudes and behaviours that will lead to safe and appropriate prescribing and use of opioids,” said NPS MedicineWise client relations manager Dr Robyn Lindner.
