The NHS clinic trying to wean patients off painkillers

Deborah Steven is Fife’s lead pharmacist for pain management and the director of the high-risk pain medication programme.

She says that until recently clinicians saw powerful drugs as the best way to treat patients but a growing understanding that medicines are less effective for long-term pain is forcing a rethink.

“For short-term acute pain, medications are good, highly effective, really useful,” she says.

“For longer term chronic pain we definitely know they are not as effective.

“They benefit only about one in four people and they might only get a 30% reduction in pain.”

Ms Steven, who has researched chronic pain for more than 20 years, says getting rid of 100% of pain is not achievable and people will end up frustrated if that is what they expect medication to deliver.

“That then leads to patients going to see their healthcare professional for more support, possibly higher strengths of medicines or possibly asking for different medicines because something must help,” she says.

Instead of painkillers, her team is working with patients, GPs and clinicians to consider a wide range of interventions.

These includes physiotherapy, psychologists, occupational therapists as well as raising awareness that pain medications don’t solve everything.

Ms Steven says medicines definitely still have a place and patients should always consult with a healthcare professional before coming off prescribed drug.

But she says they are seeing positive results in Fife by offering alternative non-pharmaceutical treatments.