• Lisa Goudman, Maarten Moens, and Julie G Pilitsis.
• Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy for reSearch and TeachIng NeuroModULation Uz BruSsel (STIMULUS) Research Group, Center for Neurosciences (C4N), and Pain in Motion (PAIN) Research Group, Department of Physiotherapy, Human Physiology and Anatomy, Faculty of Physical Education and Physiotherapy, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium; Department of Neurosurgery, Universitair Ziekenhuis Brussel, Brussels, Belgium; Research Foundation Flanders, Brussels, Belgium; Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, Florida.
• Anesthesiology. 2024 Mar 1; 140 (3): 524537524-537.

BackgroundHeightened risks of dependence, addiction, anxiolytic effects, or prescription overdose death due to long-term use of pain medication have increased awareness about extended pain medication use in chronic pain populations. The goal of this study was to evaluate the incidence and prevalence of pain medication prescriptions from 2012 to 2022 in common pathologies with a potential for chronic pain.MethodsA retrospective cohort study was conducted using electronic health records from TriNetX (Cambridge, Massachusetts) Global Collaborative Network. For 10 distinct cohorts (total n = 9,357,584 patients), pain medication prescriptions were extracted for five classes, namely nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAIDs) and acetaminophen, opioids, gabapentinoids, neuropathic mood agents, and muscle relaxants. Annual incidence and prevalence of each class of medication were evaluated for the past 11 yr.ResultsFrom 2012 to 2022, there was a significant increase in prescriptions of NSAIDs, except for patients with fibromyalgia, and persistent spinal pain syndrome (PSPS) type 2. Interestingly, over time, prescriptions of opioids in patients with complex regional pain syndrome, endometriosis, osteoarthritis, and PSPS type 2 increased, as did prescriptions of muscle relaxants for all cohorts except those with fibromyalgia. Incidence of prescriptions of neuropathic mood agents is high for patients with complex regional pain syndrome (both types) and PSPS type 2. Only for benzodiazepines did there seem to be a decline over the years, with a significantly decreased time trend in patients with complex regional pain syndrome type 1, fibromyalgia, and PSPS type 2.ConclusionsDuring the last 11 yr, an increase in incidence of NSAIDs and acetaminophen, opioids, neuropathic agents, and muscle relaxants was observed. Only prescriptions of benzodiazepines significantly decreased over time in specific cohorts. Overall, patients with PSPS type 2 and complex regional pain syndrome (both types) consume a broad variety of pain medication classes.Copyright © 2023 American Society of Anesthesiologists. All Rights Reserved.

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