Opioids in chronic non-malignant pain

摘要

The use of opioids in chronic non-malignant pain is profoundly messy. A simple start is to say that if somebody has severe pain which responds to opioids and for which there is no other effective remedy then why should they not receive opioids? Two judgments are then implicit: that opioids are effective and that other remedies are not. How well do these judgments hold up? And if they do, how do we work out which opioid and formulation? A paper in this week's issue addresses, but doesn't answer, the second question (p 1154).