Today (28 July) EMAHSN in collaboration with Joined Up Care Derbyshire hosted an action planning event to identify ways to reduce the harm from opioids for patients living with chronic non-cancer pain.

Opioids are a broad group of pain relieving drugs which can have adverse side effects and risks. Opioid medication includes medicines such as morphine, fentanyl, tramadol and codeine. Whilst opioids have a place in the management of acute pain e.g. post-surgery and cancer-related pain, there is no evidence to support the routine use of opioids in chronic, non-cancer pain.

The joint event covered system mapping as well as action planning providing an opportunity for stakeholders across the system, including people and communities, to select priority areas of focus. As a result, three key areas were established around:

• Education of public and patients
• Accessing non-pharmacological support
• Pain services and pathways.

Following this event, EMAHSN in conjunction with Joined up Care Derbyshire will work to develop an action plan on the key areas identified. 

This work forms part of The East Midlands Patient Safety Collaborative, Medicines Safety Improvement Programme (MedSIP) which aims to reduce avoidable medication harm by 50% by March 2024. For more information on our work on opioids and our wider medicines portfolio visit our website here.

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