Credit: Ragesoss via Wikimedia Commons
Credit: Ragesoss via Wikimedia Commons

AusSMC Briefing: Painkillers surge in Australia while most of the world misses out

Embargoed until: Publicly released:

*Online Briefing Wednesday 03 Feb at 16:00 AEDT - RECORDING NOW AVAILABLE* - Use of common opioid painkillers such as codeine, morphine and oxycodone has more than quadrupled in Australia over the past decade and doubled worldwide over the same period, an international report has found. A research team from the International Narcotics Control Board (INCB), featuring Australians, calculated the daily use of opioid painkillers for countries and regions globally over the period 2001 to 2013 and compared the data against the prevalence of health conditions requiring pain relief. Join us for this online media briefing where an Australian author from the INCB will take us through the report's findings.

Journal/conference: The Lancet

Organisation/s: The University of New South Wales, National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre (NDARC), Australian Science Media Centre

Media release

From: Australian Science Media Centre

Full recording of the briefing now avaiable - see link below

NEWS BRIEFING: Wednesday 03 Feb at 16:00 AEDT ONLINE

UNDER EMBARGO UNTIL 21:00 AEDT Wednesday 3 February 2016

Use of common opioid painkillers such as codeine, morphine and oxycodone has more than quadrupled in Australia over the past decade and doubled worldwide over the same period, an international report has found.

A research team from the International Narcotics Control Board (INCB), featuring Australians, calculated the daily use of opioid painkillers for countries and regions globally over the period 2001 to 2013 and compared the data against the prevalence of health conditions requiring pain relief. They found the bulk of the worldwide increase occurred in western regions including North America, Australia and New Zealand. The researchers say the increase is likely due to the needs of an ageing population including the management of cancer and chronic pain. They add as there is no recognised level of appropriate prescribing, it is not known if this use is excessive or appropriate.

The researchers also surveyed 214 countries about the availability of painkiller medications, finding the majority of poorer and less developed nations including Central America and the Caribbean, Africa, parts of Asia and Eastern Europe had little or no-access to opioid pain relief and there had been no significant increase in use in these regions over the 10 years.

Join us for this online media briefing where an Australian author from the INCB will take us through the report's findings.

Speaker:

  • Professor Richard Mattick, National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre at UNSW

Date: Wed 03 Feb 2016
Start Time: 4:00pm AEDT
Duration: 27 mins
Venue: Online

Attachments:

Note: Not all attachments are visible to the general public

  • National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre (NDARC)
    LANCET-Use-of-opioid-painkillers-increases-fourfold-in-Australia-in-10-years-release.pdf, 105.3 KB
  • The Lancet
    Web page
    Link will go live once the embargo has lifted
  • Australian Science Media Centre
    Web page
    Full recording of the briefing

News for:

Australia
NSW

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