A Northland physician is part of a team investigating how to lower harm caused by serious painkillers after use of the addictive drugs doubled in seven years.
Alan Davis is deputy chairman of a group tasked with planning for the Health Quality and Safety Commission (HQSC) opioid collaborative project, which started in October last year. The 18-month investigation, costing about $650,000, aims to reduce harm from opioids in hospitals and build capability in medication safety and quality improvement.
Opioids are painkillers such as morphine, methadone and oxycodone, which are commonly used after surgery.
"They are one of the more common causes of serious adverse medication events in hospitals," Dr Davis said. "They are also used in the community, particularly after leaving hospital, and can cause issues with side effects and drug addiction."
Dr Davis, a physician at Northland District Health Board, is also chair of the Northland DHB Drugs and Therapeutics Committee. The use of strong opioids in Northland was slightly higher than the national average, Dr Davis said. Since 2007, use in Northland, like the rest of the country, had almost doubled.