Opioid prescriptions rise in England despite poor efficacy and harms, finds study

The number of opioid drugs prescribed in England is steadily rising despite a lack of effectiveness for treating chronic pain and their potentially serious side effects, a study has found. 1 Researchers also found that opioid prescriptions by GPs are higher in deprived areas and northern England. Helen Stokes-Lampard, chair of the Royal College of General Practitioners, said that, while opioid drugs can help to relieve debilitating and painful symptoms in some patients, it was important that these drugs are prescribed "appropriately and in conjunction with established clinical guidelines."