How opioid prescribing policies influence primary care clinicians’ treatment decisions and conversations with patients with chronic pain

Objective: The 2016 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guideline for prescribing opioids for chronic pain aimed to assist primary care clinicians in safely and effectively prescribing opioids for chronic noncancer pain. Individual states, payers, and health systems issued similar policies imposing various regulations around opioid prescribing for patients with chronic pain. Experts argued that healthcare organizations and clinicians may be misapplying the federal guideline and subsequent opioid prescribing policies, leading to an inadequate pain management. The objective of this study was to understand how primary care clinicians involve opioid prescribing policies in their treatment decisions and in their conversations with patients with chronic pain.Design: We conducted a secondary qualitative analysis of data from 64 unique primary care visits and 87 post-visit interviews across 20 clinicians from three healthcare systems in the Midwestern United States. Using a multistep process and thematic analysis, we systematically analyzed data excerpts addressing opioid prescribing policies.Results: Opioid prescribing policies influenced clinicians’ treatment decisions to not initiate opioids, prescribe fewer opioids overall (theme #1), and begin tapering and discontinuation of opioids (theme #2) for most patients with chronic pain. Clinical precautions, described in the opioid prescribing policies to monitor use, were directly invoked during visits for patients with chronic pain (theme #3).Conclusions: Opioid prescribing policies have multidimensional influence on clinician treatment decisions for patients with chronic pain. Our findings may inform future studies to explore mechanisms for aligning pressures around opioid prescribing, stemming from various opioid prescribing policies, with the need to deliver individualized pain care.

The effects of a multiday (10–14 days) subanesthetic dose IV ketamine infusion in the treatment of refractory chronic pain

Aim: Ketamine is an anesthetic agent that at lower doses can be a potent analgesic. There has been an interest in the use of low dose ketamine in treatment of chronic pain syndromes. Patients & methods: We report the results of a retrospective observational study for patients diagnosed with a chronic noncancer pain syndrome receiving a 2-week continuous subanesthetic IV ketamine infusion. Results & conclusion: We conclude that a 10–14 days of subanesthetic ketamine infusion in chronic patients results in clinically significant lowering of patients' numerical pain score. Further studies looking at subanesthetic ketamine infusion in a prospective trial of multi-day IV ketamine infusion in chronic refractory chronic neuropathic pain are needed to further assess the efficacy of ketamine.

Attrition of methylnaltrexone treatment-emergent adverse events in patients with chronic noncancer pain and opioid-induced constipation: a post hoc pooled analysis of two clinical trials

Background: Opioids prescribed for the management of chronic noncancer pain are associated with nausea, vomiting, and constipation. Methylnaltrexone, a peripherally acting µ-opioid receptor antagonist, has demonstrated robust efficacy and was well-tolerated in treating opioid-induced constipation without affecting central analgesia. Our objective was to assess changes in the frequency of adverse events after the first or second dose of methylnaltrexone or placebo. Methods: This post hoc analysis pooled data from two randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trials assessing methylnaltrexone for opioid-induced constipation in the outpatient setting. Patients received subcutaneous methylnaltrexone (12 mg once daily or 12 mg once every other day), oral methylnaltrexone (150, 300, or 450 mg daily), or placebo. Adverse events, opioid withdrawal symptoms, pain intensity, and rescue-free bowel movements (RFBMs) within 4 hours of the first dose (i.e., RFBM responders) were assessed. Associations between adverse event frequencies and RFBM response were also evaluated. Results: The analysis included 1263 adult patients with chronic noncancer pain. Treatment-emergent adverse event rates declined from treatment day 1 to 2 (methylnaltrexone: 16.2%–5.3%; placebo: 6.6%−5.4%). Among methylnaltrexone-treated patients, significantly greater proportions of RFBM responders versus nonresponders reported gastrointestinal adverse events on day 1. No associations between RFBM response and the frequency of adverse events were observed in the placebo group. No meaningful changes in opioid withdrawal symptoms or pain intensity were observed. Conclusions: Early-onset adverse events following methylnaltrexone treatment, particularly gastrointestinal adverse events, are at least partially due to laxation. Methylnaltrexone treatment effectively relieves opioid-induced constipation without affecting the central analgesic effects of opioids.

Gender Differences in Depression and Sex Hormones among Patients Receiving Long-Term Opioid Treatment for Chronic Noncancer Pain in Taiwan—A Multicenter Cross-Sectional Study

Background: Long-term use of opioids for chronic noncancer pain is associated with sex hormone disturbances. The interferences with sex hormones, sexual function, and depression were investigated in patients with chronic noncancer pain. Methods: A cross-sectional multicenter survey was conducted on 170 officially registered outpatients receiving long-term opioid treatment in nine medical centers in Taiwan between October 2018 and July 2019. Serum sex hormone levels were examined after the collection of self-administered questionnaires containing the Taiwanese version of the Brief Pain Inventory, depressive status, and sexual function interference. Results: Among 117 (68.8%) questionnaire responses from 170 enrolled outpatients, 38 women and 62 men completed the sex hormone tests, among whom only 23 (23%) had previously received blood hormone tests. Low serum total testosterone levels were detected in 34 (89.5%) women (<30 ng/dL) and 31 (50%) men (<300 ng/dL). Over 60% of women and men reported reduced sexual desire and function despite a nearly 50% reduction in pain intensity and daily function interference over the previous week after opioid treatment. Women generally had higher risks of a depression diagnosis (p = 0.034) and severe depressive symptoms (p = 0.003) and nonsignificantly lower opioid treatment duration (median 81 vs. 120 months) and morphine milligram equivalent (median 134 vs. 165 mg/day) compared with men. Conclusions: This survey demonstrated the high prevalence of depression diagnosis, low sex hormone levels, and reduced sexual function among Taiwanese patients with chronic noncancer pain receiving prolonged opioid therapy. Regular hypogonadal screenings are recommended for further management.