Suitable caution should be undertaken when co-prescribing opioid analgesics
with muscle
relaxants and/or benzodiazepines (BZD) among tobacco users to prevent prescription
drug addiction.
It is reported in
the American Journal on addictions that individuals taking tobacco are
prescribed or co-prescribed opioid analgesics (OA) with benzodiazepines (BZD)
or muscle relaxants (MR) exceedingly as compared to non-users. Co‐prescription
of sedative-hypnotics along with tobacco intake, exerts the risk for ill-usage
of prescribed opioids among people with non-cancer pain. Although a clear picture
of their relationship is not established yet and therefore, this analysis
conducted to assess variations in the prescription and co‐prescription measures
of opioid analgesics with BZD or MR within tobacco users and non‐users.
The data regarding a
yearly cross‐sectional survey of visits to office‐based physicians in
outpatient contexts in the United States were collected from the 2006 to 2009
National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey. Patients with ≥18 years old and with
non-cancer neck or back pain were included in the analysis. Different types of
associations between prescription or co‐prescription rates and tobacco use
status were measured by implementing the χ2 test and multiple logistic
regression analysis.
A total of
114,199,536 weighted visits were assessed. Tobacco users showed significant
odds ratios (ORs) for medical prescriptions; opioid analgesics (OR 2.14),
benzodiazepines and opioid analgesics (OR 3.66), muscle relaxants and opioid
analgesics (OR 2.57), and benzodiazepines, muscle relaxants, and opioid
analgesics (OR 7.02). These OR values explain a considerable opioid misuse
among tobacco users, and therefore, healthcare experts should restrict
co‐prescription of opioid analgesics with benzodiazepines or muscle relaxants
in tobacco users and administer a comprehensive strategy for alleviating
pain.
The American journal on addictions
The association of tobacco use with prescription of muscle relaxants, benzodiazepines, and opioid analgesics for non-cancer pain.
Hiroko Takaki et al.
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