End obsession with drugs by banning ‘painkiller’ term

Professor Jamie Coleman has suggested that the term ‘painkiller’ should not be used to help bust the myth that they cure pain.

Coleman, who is part of a working group looking at the use of opioid medication for the government in England, highlighted how the the phrase raised unrealistic expectations and advised that the term ‘pain-reliever’ would be more appropriate.

Research suggests that just one in 10 patients seeking help for long-term pain benefit from strong painkillers. However, even in low doses, the medication could become addictive, and users risked serious side-effects, such as vomiting and nausea.

To combat prescription drug addiction, Coleman said he was in favour of ending the over-the-counter sale of low-dose codeine drugs in pharmacies, as making such drugs prescription-only alongside a change in culture towards painkillers, would be key to tackling misuse.

He said that he sympathised with GPs, who prescribe them to patients in the community who suffer from long-term pain, as they are often under pressure to see patients quickly and did not always have other options to turn to, such as mental health care and support schemes to address loneliness.

Previous Public Health England research found that every year more than five million people are given opioids, such as codeine and morphine, with 1.2 million on them for at least 12 months.