Participants needed for new study into prescription-only opioid use in managing chronic pain

Researchers from the University of Tasmania’s School of Medicine (Psychology) are seeking participants for a new study about the experiences of people who use prescription-only opioid medications to help manage chronic non-cancer pain.

Participants will be asked to complete a brief online survey, including questions about medication use (e.g., dose, type of opioid being taken, length of treatment), pain, cognitive functioning (such as memory), and physical and mental health.

The survey will take approximately 15 minutes to complete, and participants can enter the draw to win a $50 Coles Group Myer gift voucher.

“This survey will generate useful information for healthcare providers (such as doctors), pain support groups, and consumers, and the findings could be used to help educate people regarding the potential outcomes of opioid pain therapies,” researcher Jane Akhurst said.

The researchers are seeking male and female participants, aged between 18 and 65 years, who are using prescription-only opioids as a treatment for pain.

To be eligible, participants must be experiencing chronic pain (lasting three months or more), that is not related to cancer.

They can be using combinations of over-the-counter and prescription-only medications, but their treatment must include prescription-only opioids (e.g., MS Contin).

The survey can be found at https://tinyurl.com/ycaymwd5

For more information, contact Jane Akhurst at jakhurst@utas.edu.au.

(Source: University of Tasmania)