A regional survey of opioid use by patients receiving specialist palliative care

Abstract

A study was conducted to determine the patterns of opioid use in patients under the care of specialist palliative care (SPC) teams in Trent Region, both in the community and in inpatient settings. The design was a survey of point prevalence by case note and drug chart review.

The case notes and prescription records of 1007 patients were reviewed, and data collected on age, sex, diagnosis, date of referral, care settings, opioid form and dose on referral, and most recent opioid form and dose.

Nine hundred and seventy patients had cancer; their ages ranged from 18 to 98 years (mean 66.5; median 69). Care was delivered by community specialist nurse for 39%, hospice daycare (DC) for 31 %, hospice based homecare for 11 %, hospice inpatient unit (IPU) for 15%, hospice outpatient (OP) for 5%, and other for 0.5%.

There was no record of medication in 2% of the notes. No opioids had been prescribed for 43% of patients (range 24% IPU to 49% DC), 10% of patients were using weak opioids only (range 0.9% IPU to 16% OP), and 45% of patients were using strong opioids (range 39% DC to 75% IPU), the majority being on morphine (87% of total strong opioids).

Daily oral morphine equivalence (OME) dosages ranged form 0.4 mg to 3600 mg (mean 166; median 60; mode 60). Dose changes under SPC ranged from -780 mg to +3900 mg OME, 42% patients having had no change in their dosage and 15% having reduced their opioid dose whilst under SPC.

This survey challenges the popular impression that patients receiving SPC require large doses of morphine. The highest prevalence of potent opioid prescribing was in hospice IPUs, largely owing to the use of parenteral diamorphine. Conversely, IPUs had the lowest prevalence of weak opioids. Staff caring for patients with cancer must consider the need for downward as well as upward titration of opioid dosages.