What is Opiophobia - Meaning and definition

Opiophobia

Opiophobia refers to a phenomenon in which exaggerated concern about the risks associated with opioids prevent appropriate medical use of opioid analgesics.
Anyone involved in the drug distribution system, as well as patients, family members, and members of the public, can have these exaggerated concerns.

University of Wisconsin-Madison Pain & Policy Studies Group. Glossary of Terms. Internet. Accessed January 20, 2016.

Opiophobia – professional
Some of the reasons why doctors under prescribe and nurses under administer opioid drugs:
- "Morphine should only be used when the patient is dying."
- "Morphine hastens death."
- "Morphine causes respiratory depression."
- "Morphine doesn’t work." This may be due to: incorrect administration, opioid-insensitive pain, or by ignoring psychosocial aspects of care.
- "Morphine causes unacceptable side effects." This may be due to: constipation, nausea, somnolence, confusion.
- Fear of tolerance, physical dependence, or psychological dependence.

None of these justify withholding treatment from palliative care patients who need it./i>
Woodruff R. Palliative medicine evidence-based symptomatic and supportive care for patients with advanced cancer. 4th ed. Oxford University Press, 2004. p. 106.

Opiophobia – patient and family
Some reasons why patients and their families may be afraid of opioid therapy:

- "That means I’m going to die soon."
- "Nothing left for when the pain gets worse."
- "I'll become an addict."
- "I'm allergic to morphine."
- "The morphine didn’t work." This may be due to incorrect administration, no instructions for breakthrough pain, morphine-insensitive pain, or ignoring psychosocial factors.
- "'I couldn't take the morphine." This may be due to somnolence, confusion, nausea, or constipation.

All can be resolved with explanation and counseling.
Woodruff R. Palliative medicine evidence-based symptomatic and supportive care for patients with advanced cancer. 4th ed. Oxford University Press, 2004. p. 107.

To cite

Opiophobia. IAHPC Pallipedia. https://pallipedia.org/opiophobia/. Accessed

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Last updated on March 24, 2023.

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