ArticleBJGP open2025
The prescribing of opioids for chronic non-cancer pain in the menopausal and postmenopausal population: a drug utilisation study in the UK.
Article in BJGP open, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
1 citing paper in PubMed.
- Characteristics, impact and management of chronic pain in black women with HIV.International journal of STD & AIDS · 2026Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundOpioid use for chronic non-cancer pain (CNCP) is consistently higher in menopausal and postmenopausal women than in younger women or men, elevating their risk of opioid-related adverse health outcomes. Since pain severity increases with hormonal changes accompanying menopause, these women should be a focus of opioid stewardship efforts.
aimTo examine opioid prescribing trends for CNCP in menopausal and postmenopausal women diagnosed with a musculoskeletal condition. DESIGN &
settingPopulation-based drug utilisation study, which was undertaken with data from IQVIA Medical Research Data UK.
methodAnnual opioid prescribing incidence, prevalence, and average duration of use were calculated for a cohort of women aged 50-79 years with musculoskeletal conditions newly diagnosed between 2010 and 2021. Specific results were stratified by age, pain indication, and Townsend score.
resultsFrom 2010-2021, incident prescribing rates of opioids increased in women aged 50-54 years (161.4 [95% confidence interval {CI} = 149.7 to 174.0] per 1000 person-years at risk [PYAR] in 2010 to 239.6 [95% CI = 211.7 to 271.2] per 1000 PYAR in 2021); these women discontinued opioid use faster (<1 year) than older age groups (~2 years). Overall, opioid prescribing prevalence decreased from 23% in 2010 to 14% in 2021, and average opioid use duration decreased from 3 years to 1 year (2010-post-2017) in women aged 50-79 years.
conclusionThe overall observed decrease in prevalence and average duration of opioid use is encouraging. Incident prescriptions are rising in women aged 50-54 years and those with fibromyalgia while remaining steady in women aged 55-79 years. Understanding the impact of menopause and post-menopause on opioid use trends is important for effective opioid stewardship.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.