Control and Reduction of Opioid Prescribing in Primary care (CROPP)
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Control and Reduction of Opioid Prescribing in Primary care (CROPP)
IRAS ID
267039
Contact name
Simon Gill
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 6 months, 30 days
Research summary
Research title: Control and Reduction of Opioid Prescribing in Primary care (CROPP).
This research study shall recruit and interview Doctors within General Practice to understand the prescribing of above recommended daily doses of opioid analgesic medication to manage adult patients with persistent non-cancer pain lasting for over three months.
Doses of opioid analgesics exceeding an equivalent to 120mg of oral morphine per 24 hours are not expected to provide benefit in reduced pain, but are likely to harm patient functioning and quality of life. Numerous persistent pain guidelines are available advocating this, however significant and increasing numbers of patients take doses prescribed to them in excess of this.
Semi-structured Interviews lasting up to one hour of up to 20 Doctors shall take place at their place of work over a period of up to six months. Interviews shall explore the GP’s experiences of managing persistent pain, and the barriers and facilitators to safe and optimal prescribing.
Interviews will be recorded and reviewed by the researchers to identify common themes in order to develop a complex intervention that may in the future be subject to a new full clinical trial. The purpose of the intervention is to better enable Doctors to reduce potential harm in patients already prescribed opioids at doses equivalent to over 120mg of oral morphine per 24 hours, and to prevent and protect patients from potential harm by not exceeding such doses in the first instance.
REC name
N/A
REC reference
N/A