Washington physicians' beliefs and attitudes about the use of opioid analgesics

Abstract

Opioid analgesics are among the most prescribed medications in the United States. Unfortunately, growing non-medical use of these drugs has resulted in increased morbidity and fatal and nonfatal overdoses. Washington State has addressed the problem of non-medical opioid use by adopting rules to govern opioid prescribing for the treatment of patients with chronic non-cancer pain. We mailed a survey to a random sample of 2,000 Washington physicians to gain understanding of their knowledge, beliefs, attitudes, and practices about issues related to opioid use: Diversion and abuse, the concept of addiction, federal and state laws governing opioid prescribing, and the legality and medical acceptability of prescribing opioids for pain relief.