British journal of anaesthesia
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Chronic pain patients may be at an increased risk for drug overdoses as a result of comorbid psychiatric disorders and treatment with risk-increasing prescription medications, such as opioids. We aimed to characterise fatal drug overdoses and investigate factors associated with the deaths among individuals who had been treated pharmacologically for chronic pain. ⋯ This study shows the need for better identification of overdose and suicide risk in individuals treated for chronic pain. Extra caution is needed when treating complex comorbid disorders, especially with overdose risk-increasing medications.