Increase in use of opioids during pandemic

back pain

The use of opioids for pain relief in patients awaiting hip and knee replacement surgery increased dramatically during the pandemic according to new research from the University of Aberdeen. Published in the BMJ Quality & Safety, the study found that the numbers of patients using opioids while waiting for surgery increased by 40% compared to pre-pandemic levels. Opioids such as morphine and tramadol are […]

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Opioid addiction fuelled by painkillers

Opioid addiction, fuelled by OTC medication and prescription pain killers, has reached epidemic  proportions in the US but is becoming a growing problem in the UK too. According to a recent BBC News investigation, GPs in England prescribed nearly 24 million opioid-based painkillers in 2017, the equivalent of 2,700 items every hour. ‘As a doctor, I […]

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