Painkillers, or prescription opioids, are typically prescribed by healthcare professionals to alleviate moderate to severe pain that is a result of an injury, surgery or short-term medical problem. When used in the right way, painkillers are a useful form of pain management, but severe problems can arise if patients develop a dependency.
Studies show that addiction to painkillers is on the rise in the UK, with one of the largest driving factors being a lack of vigilance and awareness of medical professionals.
If you believe that you or a loved one has developed a prescription opioid addiction due to clinical malpractice, then be sure to contact medical negligence solicitors to get the compensation you deserve.
The Mechanics of Painkiller Addiction
The effects of painkiller addiction can be devastating on the body and can lead to many physical, psychological and behavioural symptoms. Addiction occurs due to the way common painkillers such as codeine and fentanyl interact with your brain. The opioids trigger the release of feel-good transmitters which mask the perception of pain and boost feelings of pleasure and euphoria.
When opioids are taken regularly, fewer endorphins are released over time to eventually build a tolerance. This can lead users to chase the original feeling by increasing their dosage or illegally obtaining opioids. Physical dependence can follow soon after, which means the body has become so used to the drug that it can not function properly without it.
Once you have become drug dependent, you can go into withdrawal if you were to stop ingesting the painkillers. This uncomfortable and often painful process is also known as detoxification and the symptoms vary from user to user.
Underlying Causes
There are a multitude of challenges to face when living with chronic pain and painkillers are often the go-to solution to help sufferers get through the day, at least for the short term. Common practice is that opiates will only be prescribed for a few weeks and the NHS is working hard to reduce inappropriate prescribing.
While some people are treated with opiates due to an isolated accident at work or an injury, some social groups are more vulnerable to painkiller prescriptions. Studies found that women in England are almost twice as likely as men to be prescribed potentially addictive opiate painkillers.
Treatment and Prevention Strategies
New programs and prevention strategies are in place to get ahead of rising levels of painkiller addiction, including the NHS Medicines Safety Improvement Programme (MedSIP). It aims to reduce medicine administration errors by 50% by March 2024 and safeguard against the harm of opiate abuse by reducing the prescription of high dosages.
Further education for healthcare professionals, patients and the public is needed, so the signs and symptoms can be spotted early on and appropriate intervention can be put in place.
