@Article{Banaszek2024,
journal="Medycyna Paliatywna/Palliative Medicine",
issn="2081-0016",
volume="16",
number="2",
year="2024",
title="Opioid misuse in palliative care – a significant problem or unavoidable “side effect”",
abstract="Opioid medication is an integral part of pain management in palliative care. However, opioid   therapy poses a risk of misuse and abuse of these drugs. Identifying this problem can be difficult due to the specificity of the patient population, as well as the complexity of the potential causes. One strategy to prevent this phenomenon is the early identification of patients at risk. Several tools exist to assess the risk of abnormalities during opioid therapy. Structured use of these tools in combination with careful clinical examination, regular medical visits, and laboratory tests can further reduce risk and increase the safety and efficacy of opioid treatment. In this article, we have presented the current state of knowledge on inappropriate use of opioid medications in palliative care, risk factors, and outcomes. In addition, we have provided examples of tools and solutions that should be implemented to minimise the risk of opioid medication inadequacies.",
author="Banaszek, Łukasz
and Rudzińska, Monika
and Ufniarski, Tomasz
and Śliwa, Zofia
and Piechowicz, Paulina
and Dzierżanowski, Tomasz",
pages="109--119",
doi="10.5114/pm.2024.140683",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.5114/pm.2024.140683"
}