New safer drug brings hope to millions affected by pain

England is in the grip of a secret opioid epidemic, according to a new poll of health professionals. But for our ageing population, managing long-term pain is a key challenge

- BY MATT NIXSON

If you get your health news from Netflix dramas such as Painkiller and The Pharmacist, you could be mistaken for thinking it's America that has the world’s biggest problem with opioids.

But in 2019 — when the most recent global data was compiled - it was the UK that held the dubious distinction of having the highest prescribing rates of these highly addictive medicines.

Despite a concerted effort to curtail their use, the Department of Health and Social Care estimates that in England alone there are still more than half a million people who have been taking opioids continuously for a year or more.

So it’s perhaps not surprising 75% of healthcare professionals believe the UK is still in the grip of an opioid epidemic, according to research by the makers of Combogesic, a new OTC pain relief medicine with paracetamol and ibuprofen working together to provide effective pain relief.

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The research also reveals one in 10 people suffer pain on a daily basis. And that's likely to get worse because of obesity, sedentary lifestyles and an ageing population.

Dr Nisa Aslam, a GP and adviser to Combogesic, says: “Pain management is a huge problem. NHS Digital data shows around a third of adults are affected by chronic pain and this is rising.

“We can offer effective treatments for mild and severe pain, but there is a real gap in the options we have for mild to moderate pain, suffered by a significant proportion of the population.

“There are also challenges around how to provide the best care for people who have relied on opioids.”