De-escalation of opioids post-surgical discharge – The DESCALE study.
Research type
Research Study
Full title
DE-eSCALation of opioids post-surgical dischargE – The role of the clinical pharmacist in reducing opioid dependence at the interface between hospital and primary care – The DESCALE study.
IRAS ID
321377
Contact name
Emma L Veale
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Kent
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 11 months, 17 days
Research summary
Opioids are very strong pain killers that are often prescribed to alleviate severe short-term pain, such as after having a surgical procedure. Used short-term these drugs are very effective at taking away pain, however used longer than the recommended 2-4 weeks, opioids can cause more pain, become addictive or even cause premature death. Despite the high potential for serious adverse events when using opioids, in the past two decades the numbers of people using opioids has risen dramatically. In the UK alone, over 5.6 million opioid prescriptions were dispensed in the period 2017–2018. One source of high opioid prescribing and associated long-term use has been linked to patients in the USA, who have undergone a surgical procedure. Less is known in the UK about opioid prescribing in hospitals and the link to long-term use. However, with almost 5-million surgical procedures occurring yearly in the UK, and no current national guidelines for opioid prescribing following surgery, this underexplored source of long-term opioid use is a concern for policy makers and professional bodies. The consensus is that whilst it is important to ensure that post-surgical pain is treated appropriately, it is equally important that opioid use is not continued for longer than is safe and necessary.
In this study, funded by the National Institute for Health Research we are planning to evaluate an early opioid deprescribing intervention, delivered by pharmacists, for surgical patients discharged from one-of-three East Kent University Foundation Trust hospitals. In the UK, East Kent has been highlighted as a region with high opioid prescribing and long-term opioid use. By intervening with post-surgical patients early in their opioid journey, the intervention aims to prevent patients transitioning from short-term to long-term opioid use. This should not only benefit the patient but also key stake holders, such as local healthcare providers.REC name
North West - Greater Manchester Central Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
23/NW/0241
Date of REC Opinion
19 Sep 2023
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion