Opioid Use Disorders among Patients on Long-Term Morphine for Management of Chronic Cancer Pain: A Pilot Study from a Tertiary Palliative Care Facility

OBJECTIVES: Long-term opioid use can be associated with misuse and addiction. In the backdrop of increasing burden of cancer patients in India, it is important to assess the rate of opioid use disorders among those with chronic cancer pain. The objectives were to measure the rate of opioid use disorder in chronic cancer pain patients being managed with morphine and to assess its association with demographic and clinical characteristics. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted on chronic cancer pain patients who were prescribed morphine for ≥12 months, dosage of ≥60 mg/day. They were assessed using MINI version 7.0.0, WHO-ASSIST Hindi questionnaire, Addiction Behavior Checklist, and DSM-5 for opioid use disorder. RESULTS: Forty patients who were treated with morphine for a total of 1479 months participated. The average morphine consumption was 159.50 ± 327.90 mg/day. Six (15%) showed possible inappropriate opioid analgesic use and none of the patients had opioid use disorder. CONCLUSION: This study reports the absence of opioid use disorder due to vigilant use of morphine in chronic cancer patients.