Prescribing of opioids (total oral morphine equivalence) by all CCGs

Why it matters: The Opioids Aware project seeks to improve prescribing of opioid analgesia. There is little evidence that opioids are helpful in long term pain, and the risk of harm increases significantly above 120mg morphine (or equivalent) per day, without much increase in benefit. This measure describes the total Oral Morphine Equivalence (OME) in ALL opioid prescribing (excluding prescribing for addiction) including low-dose opioids in drugs such as co-codamol and co-dydramol. This measure is experimental and should be used with caution, as OME conversions vary in different reference sources. A list of the dose conversions and references used can be found here. Our paper on this measure will be available shortly.

Description: Total opioid prescribing (as oral morphine equivalence) per 1000 patients

CCGs are ordered by mean percentile over the past six months. Each chart shows the results for the individual CCG, plus deciles across all CCGs in the NHS in England.


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