Publication at Third Faculty of Medicine |
2023
Abstract
Opioids are commonly prescribed analgesics that work by binding to opioid receptors. Although the risks associated with the opioid use have long been known, there are several issues which clinicians still encounter with.
This article aims to present selected risks of long-term use of opioid analgesics in the treatment of persistent pain in the elderly and how to prevent them. Besides, it discusses the prescribing characteristics of this population with respect to their pharmacological characteristics and summarizes the specifications of selected opioid analgesics that may be considered in the elderly.