A Description of Clinical Characteristics and Treatment Patterns Observed within Prescribed Opioid Users in Germany and the UK

SUMMARY 

Aims: To describe a cohort of new opioid users (adult noncancer patients) in terms of clinical characteristics and treatment patterns in the UK and Germany. Material & methods: Data used were extracted from electronic medical records databases (UK: Clinical Practice Research Database-Hospital Episode Statistics; Germany: IMS Disease Analyzer) covering the 2008–2012 period. Results: Most eligible patients were treated with opioids for less than 6 months (UK: 78.7% and Germany: 93.7%) and indexed on weak opioids (UK: 89.5% and Germany: 88.6%). Most prescribed opioids were codeine (UK) and tramadol (Germany). Most prevalent comorbidities were dorsalgia/depression. Constipation was observed in 16.8%/17.4% (UK/Germany) of chronic users (>6 months). Conclusion: While both populations were highly morbid populations largely initiated on weak opioids, chronic use was less common in Germany.

KEYWORDS:

• CPRD
• drug utilization
• electronic medical records
• epidemiology
• opioid
• pain

Author contributions

P Chevalier and M Smulders contributed to study conception and design, data analysis and interpretation of the results. R LoCasale contributed to study conception and design and interpretation of the results. M Sostek and S Chavoshi contributed to study conception and interpretation of the results. All authors were involved throughout the development of the manuscript and approved the final version.

Financial & competing interests disclosure

This study was funded by AstraZeneca. IMS HEALTH^®, employer of P Chevalier and M Smulders, has received consulting fees to conduct the research that resulted in this manuscript. R LoCasale, S Chavoshi and M Sostek are employees of AstraZeneca based in Wilmington, USA. The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.

No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.

Ethical conduct of research

The authors state that they have obtained appropriate institutional review board approval or have followed the principles outlined in the Declaration of Helsinki for all human or animal experimental investigations. In addition, for investigations involving human subjects, informed consent has been obtained from the participants involved.

Additional information

Funding

This study was funded by AstraZeneca. IMS HEALTH^®, employer of P Chevalier and M Smulders, has received consulting fees to conduct the research that resulted in this manuscript. R LoCasale, S Chavoshi and M Sostek are employees of AstraZeneca based in Wilmington, USA. The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed. No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.