Minimising harm in opioid drug prescribing

Prescribing opioid medications can be problematic due to potential for dependence and misuse.

Therefore, care must be taken to prescribe safely and appropriately to minimise associated harms.

Opioid medications that may be prescribed in general practice include morphine, fentanyl, methadone, oxycodone, tramadol, codeine and dihydrocodeine.

Opioid analgesic overuse and dependence is a growing problem in Australasia and internationally. Opioid dependence tends to be a chronic relapsing disorder with significant associated morbidity and mortality.

Learning objectives for this short course:

• Be aware of commonly misused opioid medications in primary care.
• Be able to describe the features of dependence.
• Be able to recognise the features of opioid withdrawal and intoxication.
• Understand the general guidelines for safe prescribing practices.

Acknowledgements

This content was created by Dr Karen Falloon PhD, MBChB, FRNZCGP and reviewed by Dr Alistair Dunn, General Practitioner and Addiction Medicine Specialist (2019).