Drug utilization patterns in chronic pain patients

Differences between chronic pain patients who used no addicting medication and those who used narcotic but not sedative medications are examined in light of the hypothesis that certain patients show greater readiness to complain of and seek help for physical symptoms.

Abstract

In the population of chronic pain patients seen at multidisciplinary pain clinics, excessive and/or inappropriate medication use is a frequent problem. This study examined differences between chronic pain patients who used no addicting medication (30% of the sample of 131 patients), those who used narcotic but not sedative medications (33%) and those who used both narcotic and sedative medications (37%). Patients in the narcotic and narcotic-sedative groups had undergone significantly more pain-related hospitalizations and surgeries than those in the no addicting drugs group. Narcotic-sedative patients spent significantly more money on pain medication per month, reported significantly greater physical impairment, and had higher MMPI hypochondriasis and hysteria scores when compared to the other patients. The findings are interpreted in light of the hypothesis that certain patients show greater readiness to complain of and seek help for physical symptoms.