Opioid pharmacotherapy for chronic noncancer pain: the american experience

Medicolegal Consideration to Prevent Medical Malpractice Regarding Opioid Administration: An Analysis of Judicial Opinion in South Korea

PURPOSE

Although the use of opioids is increasing in South Korea, there have been no studies on the serious complications caused by the opioids. The aim of this study was to investigate the rare but serious complications through medicolegal analysis.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

From January 1994 to December 2019, we retrospectively reviewed the closed cases of lawsuits involving the complications of opioids using the database of judgments of the Supreme Court of Korea. General characteristics, opioid-induced complications, and judicial characteristics were analyzed.

RESULTS

Of the 46 cases, 31 cases of complications were finally included in the analysis. There were 28 (90.3%) cases of opioid administration for acute pain and 3 (9.7%) cases for chronic pain. The most commonly prescribed opioid was pethidine (n = 13, 41.9%), and the most common complication was respiratory depression (n = 17, 54.8%). All except two cases were associated with permanent injuries, including 18 (58%) deaths. Twelve (38.7%) cases were ruled in favor of the plaintiff in the claims for damages, with a median payment of United States dollar (USD) 126,346 (IQR: USD 77,275-379,219). Of these cases, the most frequently admitted complaint by the court was the neglect of observation (n = 10, 32.3%), followed by the inappropriate drug choice (n = 4, 12.9%). Eleven (36.7%) cases were plaintiffs' claims for violating explanation obligations, of which 2 (6.7%) were recognized in the court.

CONCLUSION

Our results suggest that physicians must be aware of the serious complications related to opioids and health policies to prevent such complications and malpractice should be adopted.

Pharmacoeconomics of genotyping-based treatment decisions in patients with chronic pain

Genotyping-based treatment decisions optimize care and reduce costs through lower medication utilization and fewer adverse events. Genotyping should be considered for patients with chronic pain.

Introduction:

Genotyping-based treatment decisions may optimize treatment response and minimize adverse drug events (ADEs) in patients with chronic pain.

Objectives:

To estimate the financial impact of genotyping-based treatment decisions in patients with moderate to severe chronic pain in a managed care setting.

Methods:

A budget impact model was built with a 1-year time horizon to estimate costs of genotyping-based treatment decisions in a 1000-patient cohort. The model includes drug costs, type and cost of ADEs, distribution of treatments used, and genotyping costs. Event rates and health care costs were derived from primary literature. Three patient cohorts were assessed with and without genotyping-based treatment decisions: no genetic testing; 50% genetic testing; and 100% genetic testing. Sensitivity analysis was performed varying costs, adherence, and the percentage of patients treated according to genotyping results.

Results:

Medical and ADE costs varied by patient severity and genotyping rates. Without genotyping, drug and ADE costs ranged from $1,544,377 to $24,313,844. With genotyping-based treatment, total costs ranged from $1,780,922 to $18,868,032. Sensitivity analysis, varying costs, adherence, and genotyping rates suggested genotyping improves outcomes and is cost saving in patients with chronic pain.

Conclusion:

Genotyping-based treatment costs are offset by reduced medication utilization and adverse event costs. Genotyping should be considered for patients with chronic pain in clinical practice and within clinical trials.

Effects of paclitaxel on mechanical sensitivity and morphine reward in male and female C57Bl6 mice

This study evaluated the hypothesis that a paclitaxel treatment regimen sufficient to produce mechanical allodynia would alter sensitivities of male and female mice to the conditioned rewarding and reinforcing effects of morphine. Saline or paclitaxel were administered on Days 1, 3, 5, and 7 in male and female C57Bl/6 mice to induce morphine-reversible mechanical allodynia as measured by the Von Frey filament test. Paclitaxel treatment did not change sensitivity to morphine conditioned place preference (CPP) relative to saline treatment in either male or female mice. Morphine produced peak self-administration under a fixed ratio-1 (FR1) schedule of reinforcement for 0.03 mg/kg morphine per infusion in female mice and 0.1 mg/kg morphine per infusion in male mice. During the progressive ratio experiments, saline treatment in male mice decreased the number of morphine infusions for 12 days whereas the paclitaxel-treated male mice maintained responding for morphine similar to baseline levels during the same time period. However, paclitaxel did not have an overall effect on the reinforcing efficacy of morphine assessed over a limited dose range during the course of the repeated self-administration. These results suggest that the reward-related behavioral effects of morphine are overall not robustly altered by the presence of paclitaxel treatment under the current dosing regimen, with the exception of maintaining a small yet significant higher baseline than saline treatment during the development of allodynia in male mice. (PsycINFO Database Record

"When the pain won't wane it's mainly in the brain"

Chronic pain syndromes either have no underlying organic explanation, or include patients whose chronic pain complaints (without focal deficits or significant radiographic findings) were not alleviated by surgery (in 80% of cases). Patients with chronic pain typically "turn off" members of the medical community; they are often "written off" as malingerers or psychiatric cases. The Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory often shows elevations on the hysteria and hypochondriasis scales; together these constitute somatization defined as patients converting emotional distress into bodily complaints. Depression, anxiety, and borderline personality disorders are also often encountered. Secondary gain also plays a critical role in patients with chronic pain syndromes (e.g., includes avoiding onerous tasks/work, or rewards opioid-seeking behaviors). Tertiary gain pertains to the physicians' financial rewards for administering ineffective and repeated treatment of these patients, while validating for the patient that there is truly something organically wrong with them. Self-mutilation (part of Munchausen Syndrome/Fictitious Disorders) also brings these chronic pain patients to the attention of the medical community. They are also often involved in the legal system (e.g., workmen's compensation or tort action) that in the United States, unfortunately financially rewards "pain and suffering." The main purpose of this commentary is to reeducate spinal surgeons about the pitfalls of operating on patients with chronic pain syndromes in the absence of significant neurological deficits or radiographic findings, as such "last ditch surgery" invariably fails.