Increased Use and Large Variation in Strong Opioids and Metamizole (Dipyrone) for Minor and Major Musculoskeletal Injuries Between 2008 and 2018: An Analysis of a Representative Sample of Swiss Workers

• Published in: Journal of occupational rehabilitation Vol. 34; no. 1; pp. 157 - 168
• Main Authors: Müller, Dominic, Scholz, Stefan M., Thalmann, Nicolas Fabrice, Trippolini, Maurizio Alen, Wertli, Maria M.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Springer US 01.03.2024; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Acetaminophen - therapeutic use; Analgesics; Analgesics, Opioid - therapeutic use; Chronic Pain; Clinical Psychology; Cyclooxygenase 2 Inhibitors - therapeutic use; Dipyrone; Dipyrone - therapeutic use; Drugs; Environmental Health; Health Psychology; Health services; Humans; Injuries; Injury analysis; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Narcotics; Occupational Medicine/Industrial Medicine; Opioids; Orthopedics; Pain; Paracetamol; Rehabilitation; Retrospective Studies; Switzerland - epidemiology; Switzerland; Pain medication; Analgesic; Pain; Opioid; Non-opioid; Switzerland; Musculoskeletal injuries; Injuries; Workers compensation
• ISSN: 1053-0487; 1573-3688
• DOI: 10.1007/s10926-023-10115-5

Purpose Musculoskeletal (MSK) injuries are a major contributing factor for chronic pain. To date, little is known how pain medication use in MSK injuries has changed over time. We assessed pain medication prescription for MSK injuries in a representative sample of Swiss workers between 2008 and 2018. Methods Retrospective analysis of the Swiss Accident Insurance Fund (Suva) data. We calculated annual pain medication use, treatment days, and costs associated with pain medication use in minor and major MSK injuries. Results In total, 1,921,382 cases with MSK injuries with ≥ 1 pain medication were analyzed. Whereas MSK injuries with ≥ 1 pain medication increased by 9.4%, we observed a larger increase in metamizole (+ 254%), strong opioids (+ 88.4%), coxibs (+ 85.8%), and paracetamol (+ 28.1%). Strong opioids were increasingly used in minor (+ 91.4%) and major (+ 88.3%) injuries. The increase in metamizole (+ 390.6%) and coxibs (+ 115.5%) was larger in minor injuries compared to major injuries (+ 238.7% and + 80.6%, respectively). Medical expenses decreased in all medications except for strong opioids where a substantial increase was observed (+ 192.4% in minor; + 34% in major injuries). Conclusions We observed a disproportionate increase in metamizole, strong opioids, coxibs, and paracetamol prescriptions even in minor MSK injuries between 2008 and 2018. Whereas treatment costs decreased for all pain medications, there was a substantial increase in strong opioids. A more liberal prescription practice of opioids conflict with current evidence-based practice recommendations and need to be addressed by physicians and policy makers.