A Pacira Pharmaceuticals Inc (NASDAQ:PCRX) research study involving 1,500 oral surgery patients has revealed that most of the patients are in favor of non-opioid treatment to cope with post-surgical treatment.
According to the non-opioid research study which was funded by Pacira Pharmaceuticals, seven out of every ten patients stated that they would prefer non-opioid medication to deal with the post-surgical pain after wisdom tooth removal. The results of the study further add that 80 percent of the patients would not mind using non-opioids even if it meant incurring some additional costs. About 70 percent of the patients reported that they received an opioid prescription after surgery even though there was demand for an alternative.
“It’s evident that opioids continue to be the cornerstone of pain management following third molar extraction, despite their association with unwanted side effects and the risk for abuse or addiction,” stated Pedro Franco who was part of the research team.
Patients want non-opioid options
The results of the research study were presented at this year’s Annual Meeting of the American College of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons (ACOMS). Franco further added that most of the patients especially those experiencing opioids for the first time preferred having an option for non-opioids. During his presentation, Pedro also pointed out that he hoped the findings would be instrumental towards encouraging physicians and patients to get more involved in pain management discussions.
The study was a nationwide electronic survey that was carried out by Nielsen’s Harris Poll Online. One of the main aims of the study was to help blur the line between surgeon and patient communication. Roughly 90 percent of patients and parents revealed the desire to talk to their doctors about pain management plans prior to surgery. About 71 percent of patients revealed that they were worried about the potential adverse effects that would result from the use of opioids. Only 40 percent of these patients discussed these issues with their surgeons.
Data from the research revealed that 90 percent of patients who used opioid treatments experienced some form of side effects including nausea and vomiting. This is why such a high number of patients were worried that they would experience side effects and as a result, the desire for non-opioid medication.
Pacira Pharmaceuticals stock closed the latest trading session on Wednesday at $45.80, marking a 4.88 percent drop from the previous session.
