Oxycodone is a powerful painkiller, which should mainly be used for short-term problems after, for example, operations and accidents. This is the opinion of chief physician Peter Valverius, who sits on Region Blekinge’s pharmaceutical committee.
– Used correctly for the right patient for the right condition, oxycodone is a good medicine, he says.
Recipes coveted
In the last ten years, the prescription of oxycodone has increased fivefold in Blekinge, from 1233 to 6329 patients. And even though most of the oxycodone that is abused is something that is smuggled into the country, an increased prescription can lead to an increased addiction and dependence when the drug is used incorrectly.
– It should preferably be used for short-term pain conditions, says Peter Valverius.
According to the police, prescriptions for oxycodone have become highly sought after among Karlshamn’s addicts.
– Do they have a prescription, we can not know if the tablets they are wearing are printed legitimately, or bought on the black market. Then we can not do anything, says Nicklas Paradis, area police in Karlshamn.
Total opioid use decreases
The reason for prescribing is that other opioids, such as tramadol, are used to a much lesser extent. Furthermore, there have been supply problems and a shortage of other opioids, according to Peter Valverius.
– Even though the prescription of oxycodone is increasing, the total prescription of all opioids in Blekinge has decreased by about 20 percent in the last four years.
The Medicines Committee in the Blekinge Region is working to promote the safe use of medicines in Blekinge, and now they want to reduce the prescribing of opioids further.
Hear more in the feature above.