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Legislative Council - Fifty-Fourth Parliament, Second Session (54-2)
2021-03-17 Daily Xml
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Prescription Opioids

The Hon. D.G.E. HOOD (15:29): I wish to speak today about an important community awareness program, Reach for the Facts, sponsored by the state government through ReturnToWorkSA. The use and misuse of prescription opioids within the South Australian community is a rising concern.

A number of stakeholders have come together to develop the community awareness program, aiming to raise awareness of the dangers of long-term use and misuse of prescription opioids and encourage and inquire into alternatives to opioids for safe and effective pain management. The Reach for the Facts community awareness campaign includes the website reachforthefacts.com.au and a number of other print, media and digital assets seen throughout South Australia.

Opioids can be a type of prescription medicine often provided for severe pain. Common types of prescription opioids include codeine, oxycodone, fentanyl and morphine. It is important to understand that prescription opioids work by depressing or slowing down the function of the central nervous system—that is, your brain and spinal cord—to relieve pain. As well as working on trying to reduce pain, they also affect other parts of your body.

Some 3.1 million Australians are prescribed opioids each and every year. Over the course of a year, 20 per cent of Australians over 45 years of age will be prescribed at least one opioid. The misuse of prescription opioids can result in an accidental overdose, hospitalisation and even death. While prescription opioids can be very effective in managing severe pain, like many medications they can also cause negative side effects and have unintended consequences.

In fact, 80 per cent of people who take prescription opioids for more than three months will have a negative side effect, which may include slower and shallower breathing and drowsiness. It is concerning that one in 10 people who misuse them become dependent. All opioids can be addictive and it is important to be aware of the risk of developing a dependence. Some people are more at risk than others of course, particularly if they have been taking them for a long time, have been taking high doses, if they are a smoker, have a history of mental illness or a family history of addiction.

I note that the first steps of dependency can begin in just five days. The likelihood of becoming dependent increases with every day that someone takes the medication, starting from the third day apparently. After the fifth day, the chances of becoming dependent increase significantly, I am told. Taking opioids over a period of time can lead to certain physical and psychological changes as well.

Just to highlight how important this is, 1,045 Australians died of an opioid overdose in 2016. That is a 62 percentage increase on the year 2007. Somewhat surprisingly, in 2016, prescription opioids were involved in more deaths and hospitalisations than heroin. Every day in Australia, prescription opioids are involved in nearly 150 hospitalisations and the death of three people.

For people who become dependent on prescription medications, early signs of dependency can be hard to spot. The Reach for the Facts website contains an easy questionnaire comprising four questions to give people some idea of how likely they are to be dependent. I encourage anyone who is interested to visit the website and complete this questionnaire.

It is also important to understand that prescription opioids affect everyone differently, but there are side effects commonly connected with this group of medicine. As I mentioned earlier, 80 per cent of people who take opioids for three or more months will experience a negative side effect. That said, prescription opioids can of course be an effective way to manage pain. However, whether you have a prescription opioid to help reduce acute severe pain or after an injury or surgery, or for chronic pain itself, it is important to know what they are and what to expect.

For anyone who has been prescribed opioids as part of their treatment, keeping in mind the ultimate goal is usually to reduce pain and improve day-to-day living, it is important to realise that taking opioids is only one way of managing pain and that they are unlikely to take away a person's pain completely although, if given in sufficient doses, of course they can.

Our bodies react differently to different drugs, so when opioids and other medications are combined, it can be unpredictable. It is important to be aware that mixing opioids with other prescription medication and over-the-counter medicines, illicit drugs or alcohol can also lead to other risks. Help and support are always available, however, whether for yourself or a loved one. If anyone has any questions or concerns about prescription opioids, speak to your doctor, pharmacist or trusted healthcare professional or, as I just mentioned a moment ago, please refer to the very helpful website.

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