Informed, engaged communities for health

Search
Generic filters
Filter by Categories
Aged care
Budgets
Federal Budget 2023-2024
Federal Budget October 2022
Federal Budget 2022-23
Federal Budget 2021-22
Budget2020Health
Federal Budget 2020-21
Federal Budget 2019-20
Climate and health
Climate emergency
Heatwaves
#CoveringClimateNow
#HealthyCOP27
#HealthyCOP26
COVID collection
Long COVID
COVID-19
COVIDwrap
COVID SNAPS
#JusticeCOVID
Caring for the Frontline
COVIDglobalMHseries
Croakey Conference News Service
#16nrhc
#GreenHealthForum22
#Heal2022
#ICEM22
#NAISA22
#NNF2022
#RANZCP2022
#RethinkAddiction
#RTP22
Choosing Wisely National Meeting 2022
Equally Well 2022 Symposium
GiantSteps22
Croakey Professional Services
NHLF series
#KidneyCareTogether
ACSQHC series
ACSQHC series 2022
ACSQHC series 2021
ACSQHC series 2020
ACSQHC series 2019
CATSINaM 25 Years
Croakey projects
The Health Wrap
ICYMI
@WePublicHealth
@WePublicHealth2023
#CroakeyVOICES
#SpeakingOurMinds
Croakey longreads
#CroakeyREAD
CroakeyEXPLORE
#PHAAThinkTank 2022
Summer reading 2022-2023
CroakeyGO
#CroakeyGO #NavigatingHealth
#GamblingHarms
#HeatwaveHealth
Mapping CroakeyGo
Determinants of health
Environmental determinants of health
Social determinants of health
Discrimination
Racism
Justice and policing
Poverty
Newstart/JobSeeker
Education
Housing
Internet access
Justice Reinvestment
Social policy
Commercial determinants of health
Alcohol
Digital platforms
Food and beverages
Sugar tax
Tobacco
Vaping
Plain packaging
Gambling
Pharmaceutical industry
Arms industry
Disasters and extreme weather events
Disasters
Extreme weather events
Bushfires
Bushfire-emergency 2019-2020
Floods 2023
Floods 2022
Floods 2021
Floods 2011
Donor-funded journalism
Donor-funded journalism – 2023
Donor-funded journalism – 2022
Donor-funded journalism – 2021
Donor-funded journalism – 2020
Elections
#NSWvotesHealth2023
Victorian election 2022
Federal Election 2022
The Election Wrap 2022
#QldVotesHealth
SA election 2022
WA election 2021
Tasmanian election 2021
First Nations
Indigenous health
Uluru Statement
The Voice
Community controlled sector
Cultural determinants of health
Cultural safety
Social and emotional wellbeing
Indigenous education
Lowitja Institute
NT Intervention
WA community closures
Acknowledgement
#CTG10
#NTRC
#RCIADIC30Years
General health matters
Consumer health matters
Cancer
Cardiovascular disease
Chronic conditions
Non communicable diseases
Diabetes
Oral health
Disabilities
Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD)
Genetics
Medical marijuana
Mental health
Suicide
Trauma
LGBTQIA+
HIV/AIDS
Women's health
HRT
Abortion
Men's health
Youth health
Child health
Pregnancy and childbirth
Organ transplants
Pain
Sexual health
Infectious diseases
Influenza
Mpox
Swine flu
Death and dying
Euthanasia
Global health matters
Global health
WHO
Conflict and war
Asylum seeker and refugee health
#WorldInTurmoil
Ebola
NHS
Health policy and systems
Health reform
Workforce matters
Health financing and costs
Health regulation
Strengthening Medicare Taskforce 2022
Co-design
TGA
Royal Commissions
National Commission of Audit 2014
National Health Performance Authority
Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme
Private health insurance
Healthcare
Primary healthcare
Social prescribing
Rural and remote health
General practice
International medical graduates
Primary Health Networks
NDIS
Nursing and midwifery
Australian Medical Association
Allied healthcare
Pharmacy
Paramedics
Pathology
Naturopathy
Hospitals
Emergency departments and care
Palliative care
Safety and quality of healthcare
Adverse events
Choosing Wisely
Co-payments
Out of pocket costs
Complementary medicines
Conflicts of interest
Health ethics
Digital technology
Telehealth
E-health
Equally Well
Health Care Homes
Medicare Locals
MyHospitals website
Screening
Surgery
Tests
Media and health
Media-related issues
Public interest journalism
Misinformation and disinformation
Social media and healthcare
Health & medical marketing
The Conversation
Media Doctor Australia
News about Croakey
Public health and population health
Australian Centre for Disease Control
Public health
Prevention
Health inequalities
Health literacy
Health communications
Health in All Policies
Health impact assessment
Human rights
Vaccination
Air pollution
Physical activity
Sport
Obesity
Road safety
Transport
Gun control
Illicit drugs
Injuries
Legal issues
Marriage equality
Occupational health
Violence
Weight loss products
#PreventiveHealthStrategy
#UnmetNeedsinPublicHealth
Government 2.0
Web 2.0
Nanny state
National Preventive Health Agency
Research matters
Health and medical research
#MRFFtransparency
Evidence-based issues
Cochrane Collaboration
Health and medical education
NHMRC
The Croakey Archives
#cripcroakey
#HealthEquity16
#HealthMatters
#IHMayDay (all years)
#IHMayDay 2014
#IHMayDay15
#IHMayday16
#IHMayDay17
#IHMayDay18
#LoveRural 2014
Croakey Conference News Service 2013 – 2021
2021 conferences
#21OPCC
#BackToTheFire
#FoodGovernance2021
#GiantSteps21
#GreenHealthForum21
#HealthClimateSolutions21
#HearMe21
#IndigenousClimateJustice21
#NNF2021
#RANZCP2021
#ShiftingGearsSummit
#ValueBasedCare
#WCepi2021
#YHFSummit
2020 conferences
#2020ResearchExcellence
#Govern4Health
#HealthReImagined
#SAHeapsUnfair
2019 Conferences
#ACEM19
#CPHCE19
#EquallyWellAust
#GiantSteps19
#HealthAdvocacyWIM
#KTthatWorks
#LowitjaConf2019
#MHAgeing
#NNF2019
#OKtoAsk2019
#RANZCOG19
#RANZCP2019
#ruralhealthconf
#VMIAC2019
#WHOcollabAHPRA
2018 conferences
#6rrhss
#ACEM18
#AHPA2018
#ATSISPC18
#CPHCE
#MHED18
#NDISMentalHealth
#Nurseforce
#OKToAsk2018
#RANZCOG18
#ResearchIntoPolicy
#VHAawards
#VMIACAwards18
#WISPC18
2017 conferences
#17APCC
#ACEM17
#AIDAconf2017
#BTH20
#CATSINaM17
#ClimateHealthStrategy
#IAHAConf17
#IDS17
#LBQWHC17
#LivingOurWay
#OKtoAskAu
#OTCC2017
#ResearchTranslation17
#TheMHS2017
#VMIACConf17
#WCPH2017
Australian Palliative Care Conference
2016 conferences
#AHHAsim16
#AHMRC16
#ANROWS2016
#ATSISPEP
#AusCanIndigenousWellness
#cphce2016
#CPHCEforum16
#CRANAplus2016
#IAMRA2016
#LowitjaConf2016
#PreventObesity16
#TowardsRecovery
#VMIAC16
#WearablesCEH
#WICC2016
2015 conferences
#CPHCEforum
#CRANAplus15
#HSR15
#NRHC15
#OTCC15
Population Health Congress 2015
2014 conferences
#IPCHIV14
AIDA Conference 2014
Congress Lowitja 2014
CRANAplus conference 2014
Cultural Solutions - Healing Foundation forum 2014
Lowitja Institute Continuous Quality Improvement conference 2014
National Suicide Prevention Conference 2014
Racism and children/youth health symposium 2014
Rural & Remote Health Scientific Symposium 2014
2013 conferences
Australian Centre for Health Services Innovation Forum 2013
Australian Health Promotion Association Conference 2013
Closing the Credibility Gap 2013
CRANAplus Conference 2013
FASD Conference 2013
Health Workforce Australia 2013
International Health Literacy Network Conference 2013
NACCHO Summit 2013
National Rural Health Conference 2013
Oceania EcoHealth Symposium 2013
PHAA conference 2013
Croakey Professional Services archive
#CommunityControl
#CommunityControl Twitter Festival
#COVIDthinktank21
Lowitja Indigenous knowledge translation series
Croakey projects archive
#CommunityMatters
#CroakeyFundingDrive 2022
#CroakeyLIVE #Budget2021Health
#CroakeyLIVE #USvotesHealth
#CroakeyLIVE Federal election 2022
#CroakeyYOUTH
#HousingJusticeAus
#IndigenousHealthSummit
#IndigenousNCDs
#JustClimate
#JustJustice
#LookingLocal
#OutOfPocket
#OutOfTheBox
#RuralHealthJustice
#TalkingTeeth
@WePublicHealth2022
@WePublicHealth2021
@WePublicHealth2020
AroundTheTraps
Croakey register of influence
Croakey Register of Influencers in Public Health
Croakey Register of Unreleased Documents
Gavin Mooney
Inside Story
Journal Watch
Naked Doctor
Poems of Public Health
Summer reading 2021-2022
Summer reading 2020-2021
Summer Reading 2019-2020
Summer Reading 2017-2018
Summer Reading 2016-2017
The Koori Woman
TOO MUCH of a Good Thing
Wonky Health
CroakeyGO archive 2017 – 2018
CroakeyGo 2018
#CroakeyGO #QuantumWords 2018
#CroakeyGO #VicVotes 2018
#CroakeyGO Albury 2018
#CroakeyGO Callan Park 2018
#CroakeyGO Carnarvon 2018
#CroakeyGO Marrickville 2018
#CroakeyGO Palm Island 2018
CroakeyGo 2017
#CroakeyGO Adelaide 2017
#CroakeyGO Melbourne 2017
#CroakeyGO Newcastle 2017
#CroakeyGO Sydney 2017
Elections and Budgets 2013 – 2019
#AusVotesHealth Twitter Festival 2019
#Health4NSW
Federal Election 2019
NSW Election 2019
Federal Budget 2018-19
Federal Budget 2017/18
NZ Election 2017
Federal Budget 2016-17
Federal Election 2016
#HealthElection16
NT Election 2016
Federal Budget 2015-16
Qld Election 2015
NSW Election 2015
Federal Budget 2014-15
Victorian Election 2014
Federal Budget 2013-14
Federal Election 2013
Federal Budget 2012-2013
Federal Budget 2011
Federal Budget 2010
Federal Election 2010
Federal Budget 2009-2010
Support non-profit public interest journalism
Search
Generic filters
Filter by Categories
Aged care
Budgets
Federal Budget 2023-2024
Federal Budget October 2022
Federal Budget 2022-23
Federal Budget 2021-22
Budget2020Health
Federal Budget 2020-21
Federal Budget 2019-20
Climate and health
Climate emergency
Heatwaves
#CoveringClimateNow
#HealthyCOP27
#HealthyCOP26
COVID collection
Long COVID
COVID-19
COVIDwrap
COVID SNAPS
#JusticeCOVID
Caring for the Frontline
COVIDglobalMHseries
Croakey Conference News Service
#16nrhc
#GreenHealthForum22
#Heal2022
#ICEM22
#NAISA22
#NNF2022
#RANZCP2022
#RethinkAddiction
#RTP22
Choosing Wisely National Meeting 2022
Equally Well 2022 Symposium
GiantSteps22
Croakey Professional Services
NHLF series
#KidneyCareTogether
ACSQHC series
ACSQHC series 2022
ACSQHC series 2021
ACSQHC series 2020
ACSQHC series 2019
CATSINaM 25 Years
Croakey projects
The Health Wrap
ICYMI
@WePublicHealth
@WePublicHealth2023
#CroakeyVOICES
#SpeakingOurMinds
Croakey longreads
#CroakeyREAD
CroakeyEXPLORE
#PHAAThinkTank 2022
Summer reading 2022-2023
CroakeyGO
#CroakeyGO #NavigatingHealth
#GamblingHarms
#HeatwaveHealth
Mapping CroakeyGo
Determinants of health
Environmental determinants of health
Social determinants of health
Discrimination
Racism
Justice and policing
Poverty
Newstart/JobSeeker
Education
Housing
Internet access
Justice Reinvestment
Social policy
Commercial determinants of health
Alcohol
Digital platforms
Food and beverages
Sugar tax
Tobacco
Vaping
Plain packaging
Gambling
Pharmaceutical industry
Arms industry
Disasters and extreme weather events
Disasters
Extreme weather events
Bushfires
Bushfire-emergency 2019-2020
Floods 2023
Floods 2022
Floods 2021
Floods 2011
Donor-funded journalism
Donor-funded journalism – 2023
Donor-funded journalism – 2022
Donor-funded journalism – 2021
Donor-funded journalism – 2020
Elections
#NSWvotesHealth2023
Victorian election 2022
Federal Election 2022
The Election Wrap 2022
#QldVotesHealth
SA election 2022
WA election 2021
Tasmanian election 2021
First Nations
Indigenous health
Uluru Statement
The Voice
Community controlled sector
Cultural determinants of health
Cultural safety
Social and emotional wellbeing
Indigenous education
Lowitja Institute
NT Intervention
WA community closures
Acknowledgement
#CTG10
#NTRC
#RCIADIC30Years
General health matters
Consumer health matters
Cancer
Cardiovascular disease
Chronic conditions
Non communicable diseases
Diabetes
Oral health
Disabilities
Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD)
Genetics
Medical marijuana
Mental health
Suicide
Trauma
LGBTQIA+
HIV/AIDS
Women's health
HRT
Abortion
Men's health
Youth health
Child health
Pregnancy and childbirth
Organ transplants
Pain
Sexual health
Infectious diseases
Influenza
Mpox
Swine flu
Death and dying
Euthanasia
Global health matters
Global health
WHO
Conflict and war
Asylum seeker and refugee health
#WorldInTurmoil
Ebola
NHS
Health policy and systems
Health reform
Workforce matters
Health financing and costs
Health regulation
Strengthening Medicare Taskforce 2022
Co-design
TGA
Royal Commissions
National Commission of Audit 2014
National Health Performance Authority
Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme
Private health insurance
Healthcare
Primary healthcare
Social prescribing
Rural and remote health
General practice
International medical graduates
Primary Health Networks
NDIS
Nursing and midwifery
Australian Medical Association
Allied healthcare
Pharmacy
Paramedics
Pathology
Naturopathy
Hospitals
Emergency departments and care
Palliative care
Safety and quality of healthcare
Adverse events
Choosing Wisely
Co-payments
Out of pocket costs
Complementary medicines
Conflicts of interest
Health ethics
Digital technology
Telehealth
E-health
Equally Well
Health Care Homes
Medicare Locals
MyHospitals website
Screening
Surgery
Tests
Media and health
Media-related issues
Public interest journalism
Misinformation and disinformation
Social media and healthcare
Health & medical marketing
The Conversation
Media Doctor Australia
News about Croakey
Public health and population health
Australian Centre for Disease Control
Public health
Prevention
Health inequalities
Health literacy
Health communications
Health in All Policies
Health impact assessment
Human rights
Vaccination
Air pollution
Physical activity
Sport
Obesity
Road safety
Transport
Gun control
Illicit drugs
Injuries
Legal issues
Marriage equality
Occupational health
Violence
Weight loss products
#PreventiveHealthStrategy
#UnmetNeedsinPublicHealth
Government 2.0
Web 2.0
Nanny state
National Preventive Health Agency
Research matters
Health and medical research
#MRFFtransparency
Evidence-based issues
Cochrane Collaboration
Health and medical education
NHMRC
The Croakey Archives
#cripcroakey
#HealthEquity16
#HealthMatters
#IHMayDay (all years)
#IHMayDay 2014
#IHMayDay15
#IHMayday16
#IHMayDay17
#IHMayDay18
#LoveRural 2014
Croakey Conference News Service 2013 – 2021
2021 conferences
#21OPCC
#BackToTheFire
#FoodGovernance2021
#GiantSteps21
#GreenHealthForum21
#HealthClimateSolutions21
#HearMe21
#IndigenousClimateJustice21
#NNF2021
#RANZCP2021
#ShiftingGearsSummit
#ValueBasedCare
#WCepi2021
#YHFSummit
2020 conferences
#2020ResearchExcellence
#Govern4Health
#HealthReImagined
#SAHeapsUnfair
2019 Conferences
#ACEM19
#CPHCE19
#EquallyWellAust
#GiantSteps19
#HealthAdvocacyWIM
#KTthatWorks
#LowitjaConf2019
#MHAgeing
#NNF2019
#OKtoAsk2019
#RANZCOG19
#RANZCP2019
#ruralhealthconf
#VMIAC2019
#WHOcollabAHPRA
2018 conferences
#6rrhss
#ACEM18
#AHPA2018
#ATSISPC18
#CPHCE
#MHED18
#NDISMentalHealth
#Nurseforce
#OKToAsk2018
#RANZCOG18
#ResearchIntoPolicy
#VHAawards
#VMIACAwards18
#WISPC18
2017 conferences
#17APCC
#ACEM17
#AIDAconf2017
#BTH20
#CATSINaM17
#ClimateHealthStrategy
#IAHAConf17
#IDS17
#LBQWHC17
#LivingOurWay
#OKtoAskAu
#OTCC2017
#ResearchTranslation17
#TheMHS2017
#VMIACConf17
#WCPH2017
Australian Palliative Care Conference
2016 conferences
#AHHAsim16
#AHMRC16
#ANROWS2016
#ATSISPEP
#AusCanIndigenousWellness
#cphce2016
#CPHCEforum16
#CRANAplus2016
#IAMRA2016
#LowitjaConf2016
#PreventObesity16
#TowardsRecovery
#VMIAC16
#WearablesCEH
#WICC2016
2015 conferences
#CPHCEforum
#CRANAplus15
#HSR15
#NRHC15
#OTCC15
Population Health Congress 2015
2014 conferences
#IPCHIV14
AIDA Conference 2014
Congress Lowitja 2014
CRANAplus conference 2014
Cultural Solutions - Healing Foundation forum 2014
Lowitja Institute Continuous Quality Improvement conference 2014
National Suicide Prevention Conference 2014
Racism and children/youth health symposium 2014
Rural & Remote Health Scientific Symposium 2014
2013 conferences
Australian Centre for Health Services Innovation Forum 2013
Australian Health Promotion Association Conference 2013
Closing the Credibility Gap 2013
CRANAplus Conference 2013
FASD Conference 2013
Health Workforce Australia 2013
International Health Literacy Network Conference 2013
NACCHO Summit 2013
National Rural Health Conference 2013
Oceania EcoHealth Symposium 2013
PHAA conference 2013
Croakey Professional Services archive
#CommunityControl
#CommunityControl Twitter Festival
#COVIDthinktank21
Lowitja Indigenous knowledge translation series
Croakey projects archive
#CommunityMatters
#CroakeyFundingDrive 2022
#CroakeyLIVE #Budget2021Health
#CroakeyLIVE #USvotesHealth
#CroakeyLIVE Federal election 2022
#CroakeyYOUTH
#HousingJusticeAus
#IndigenousHealthSummit
#IndigenousNCDs
#JustClimate
#JustJustice
#LookingLocal
#OutOfPocket
#OutOfTheBox
#RuralHealthJustice
#TalkingTeeth
@WePublicHealth2022
@WePublicHealth2021
@WePublicHealth2020
AroundTheTraps
Croakey register of influence
Croakey Register of Influencers in Public Health
Croakey Register of Unreleased Documents
Gavin Mooney
Inside Story
Journal Watch
Naked Doctor
Poems of Public Health
Summer reading 2021-2022
Summer reading 2020-2021
Summer Reading 2019-2020
Summer Reading 2017-2018
Summer Reading 2016-2017
The Koori Woman
TOO MUCH of a Good Thing
Wonky Health
CroakeyGO archive 2017 – 2018
CroakeyGo 2018
#CroakeyGO #QuantumWords 2018
#CroakeyGO #VicVotes 2018
#CroakeyGO Albury 2018
#CroakeyGO Callan Park 2018
#CroakeyGO Carnarvon 2018
#CroakeyGO Marrickville 2018
#CroakeyGO Palm Island 2018
CroakeyGo 2017
#CroakeyGO Adelaide 2017
#CroakeyGO Melbourne 2017
#CroakeyGO Newcastle 2017
#CroakeyGO Sydney 2017
Elections and Budgets 2013 – 2019
#AusVotesHealth Twitter Festival 2019
#Health4NSW
Federal Election 2019
NSW Election 2019
Federal Budget 2018-19
Federal Budget 2017/18
NZ Election 2017
Federal Budget 2016-17
Federal Election 2016
#HealthElection16
NT Election 2016
Federal Budget 2015-16
Qld Election 2015
NSW Election 2015
Federal Budget 2014-15
Victorian Election 2014
Federal Budget 2013-14
Federal Election 2013
Federal Budget 2012-2013
Federal Budget 2011
Federal Budget 2010
Federal Election 2010
Federal Budget 2009-2010

Our opioid diet is not working, it’s proper pain management that we need

Last week came news that Health Ministers across Australia, bar South Australia, have lobbied Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt over plans for medicines containing codeine to be no longer sold over the counter in pharmacies but to be available on prescription only.

The new schedule, to take effect from 1 February 2018, was announced last year by Australia’s medicine’s regulator, the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA).

The TGA said it had taken into consideration compelling evidence of the harm caused by overuse and abuse of over the counter codeine-containing medicines, as well as the fact that the US, most of Europe, Hong Kong, Japan, the United Arab Emirates and several other countries have already stopped codeine-containing products from being sold without prescription.

But now State and Territory Health Ministers from New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, Western Australia, the ACT, and Northern Territory have written to Minister Hunt, asking him to consider “a number of concerns about the unintended consequences of the change”.

In the joint letter, they write:

“In particular, given codeine products are widely used across the community by people to manage a range of health issues, including pain, stakeholders are concerned about the impact a large increase in the number of people requiring access to General Practitioners (GPs) for prescriptions will mean for the primary care system.

There is concern that this will be felt particularly acutely in rural and regional areas where access to GPs is already low, and that some people managing chronic conditions with codeine medications will deteriorate as they abandon medication due to the out-of-pocket costs associated with accessing GPs for their prescription.”

The move follows a strong campaign by the Pharmacy Guild of Australia which wants limited exemptions for pharmacists to be able to supply medicines containing codeine for the temporary relief of acute pain, under strict protocols and with mandatory real time recording. It cites among its concerns are patients with migraine, toothache or period pain, particularly in rural and regional areas where it says there may be no doctor available for a week.

The news of the Health Ministers letter prompted a withering statement from the Australian Medical Association, condemning the Pharmacy Guild for “irresponsible and unprincipled lobbying” to undermine the TGA ruling.

“It is essential for public safety that the TGA makes evidence-based decisions about medicines, free from political interference and sectional interests,” said AMA President Dr Michael Gannon.

The Pharmacy Guild rejected the charge, but said the TGA decision “does little to address the issues of addiction and harm arising from medicines containing codeine” and will increase cost, distress and inconvenience for patients who currently use these over-the-counter medicines safely and appropriately. It says it particularly offers “no solution to the problem of doctor shopping for prescription medicines – the overwhelming cause of codeine-related deaths in Australia.”

In the article below, Carol Bennett, Chief Executive Officer of Painaustralia, welcomes the TGA’s move and the planned rollout of real-time monitoring of prescription drugs.

But she says more still needs to be done, with Australia’s growing appetite for opioids fuelled by the need for a nationally consistent approach to chronic pain management.

Her article is the first in a Croakey mini-series on the shift to make codeine a prescription-only medicine.


Carol Bennett writes

Recent Australian Bureau of Statistics data show an alarming rate of drug-induced deaths – the highest since the late 1990s. Much of this increase is due to opioid misuse.

Opioids are the drug of choice in 3 out of 4 prescriptions for pain. Their use has increased 15 fold in a decade. Codeine-related deaths doubled between 2000 and 2009.* These are staggering figures reflecting increased opioid use and increased harms.

Chronic pain affects 1 in 5 Australians, costs the nation $34 billion annually and is the third most costly health burden in Australia. Less than 10 per cent of people with chronic pain gain access to effective pain management options – most chronic pain is not treated well. Millions of Australians regularly use opioid-based pain medications, often because they have no other choice.

The Australian Government has rescheduled codeine from 1 February 2018 to prescription only. It has also announced a national real-time monitoring scheme. These are welcome measures, but the emerging problem requires much more than that. We need federal leadership to implement a national plan for pain management.

The increase in opioid prescriptions and accidental deaths is largely about misuse among people with chronic pain, including many older people. These people are often unaware that opioids are ineffective for chronic pain and pose serious risk of harm. Most consider themselves responsible users.

The responsible use of opioids is limited to management of acute pain (post surgery or injury etc), cancer pain and in palliative care. People who use opioids for ongoing pain generally experience much poorer quality of life and limited improvement. Many experience terrible side-effects. Most become dependent on the drugs to some degree. To continue prescribing opioids for chronic pain is neither sensible nor logical.

There is an effective way to deal with ongoing pain, known as multidisciplinary pain management. People who practise this approach have less disability, improved function and better quality of life. They take control of their pain and no longer feel the need to take opioids. For a condition that has no cure, this is a remarkable testament to treatment effectiveness.

In most parts of Australia, people wait up to a year to access pain clinics. People in rural and remote areas as well as children and adolescents are particularly disadvantaged.

If Australia is serious about reducing opioid-related deaths, we need a nationally consistent approach now. A National Pain Strategy was developed by more than 150 organisations over five years ago, but it needs updating and is yet to be endorsed at the federal level. Our growing appetite for opioids is fuelled by a nation needing chronic pain management. Our opioid diet is not working. It is time to help people find effective ways to manage their pain.

*This corrects an earlier version of this article which referred to codeine overdoses over a different time period.

Comments 2

  1. Patsy Harmsen says:

    Now then is the time for medicinal cannabis!

  2. Ann Winkle says:

    Note the television ads for other OTC combination analgesics starting up / specifically paracetamol/ibuprofen

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Search by: Categories or tags

Search