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According to researchers, there are more opioids prescribed to patients with chronic pain in northern England than in the south.
A BMJ Open study found a "pain fracture" between north and south England, with people in the north more likely to suffer from chronic pain than those in the south.
Using data from just over 5,700 respondents in 2011 across England, researchers found that 37% of people living in northern England suffered from chronic pain. against 35% in the south.
Patients in the North of England were also nearly a third more likely to experience "severely limiting" pain and 37% more likely to experience "moderately limiting" pain.
However, the researchers also noted that opioid use for the most severe pain had a higher prevalence in the north, 17%, compared to 10% in the south.
The researchers said that more needed to be done at the national level to combat the prescription of opioids.
They stated in the paper, "Our study shows that consideration of the need to continue prescribing opioids should be considered in any strategy to address the less common health problems reported in the north-east of the country. England.
"Given the public health concerns associated with the long-term use of opioid analgesics – and their questionable activity in the management of chronic pain – prescribers need to be better guided in the management of pain." chronic long. avoid.
This comes after Public Health England has been tasked with conducting a comprehensive review of dependence on prescription medications, including opioid analgesics, benzodiazepines, z drugs, gabapentinoids, and antidepressants.
Pulse also revealed last year that the BMA had written to health ministers demanding an investigation into drug addiction, while the RCGP had held discussions with MPs on its proposals for annual patient reviews.
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