Opioids for Persistent Pain: Overview and Evidence course for Nurses

This is the first of two sessions covering the use of oral and transdermal opioids for persistent pain (also referred to as chronic, chronic non-cancer or long term pain). Opioids have proven benefit for treating acute pain and in palliative care, however, the use of opioid medicines in those conditions will not be covered in this session. This session provides an overview of the evidence for using opioids to treat persistent pain, including commonly used opioid medicines, their effectiveness and side effects.

By the end of this session, you will be able to:

• Describe the opioid medicines commonly used for managing persistent pain
• Discuss the effectiveness of opioids when used for persistent pain
• List the common adverse effects of opioid medicines

Strong opioids should always be used as part of a multimodal strategy for pain management utilising non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and/or non-opioid painkillers, and/or non-pharmacological interventions when appropriate. It is important to review the risks and benefits of continued opioid therapy on a regular basis.