Blog

A Geisinger study, published in Addiction in 2010, found that patients with four common risk factors have a significantly higher risk of addiction to painkillers. Chronic pain patients who are 65 years or younger, have a history of depression, and use of psychiatric medication were common risk factors for the development of a substance abuse problem. A history of drug abuse further compounds the risk. Among the patients attributed with these risk factors, statistics show that one in four (26 percent) suffer with painkiller addiction.

The significance of these findings, as reiterated by the senior investigator of the study, is that most of this information can often easily and quickly be found in a patient’s medical record. “These findings suggest that patients with pre-existing risk factors are more likely to become addicted to painkillers, providing the foundation for further clinical evaluation,” said Joseph Boscarino, PhD, an epidemiologist and senior investigator at Geisinger’s Center for Health Research, cited online at HCP Live. “By assessing patients in chronic pain for these risk factors before prescribing painkillers, doctors will be better able to treat their patients’ pain without the potential for future drug addiction.”

Additionally, even without a history of chronic pain, patients with these risk factors may still be more likely to become addicted.

The study investigators accessed an electronic database to identify patients with back pain and related orthopedic conditions, who were prescribed painkillers for more than 90 days. The sample size was 705 patients. These patients were interviewed and had their DNA collected to be studied.

The team studied a gene located on chromosome 15 that was implicated in alcohol, cocaine, and cigarette smoking dependencies.  The data suggests there is an association of DNA variants in a gene cluster on this chromosome with opioid and nicotine addiction as well.