Understanding Opioid Use in Autoimmune Diseases

The study examines opioid prescribing patterns among adults with systemic autoimmune and inflammatory rheumatic diseases (SARS) compared to those without these conditions. Chronic pain is prevalent in patients with these diseases, and the research highlights the need to understand how opioids are prescribed in this context. Opioids, traditionally effective for acute or cancer-related pain, show limited evidence of effectiveness for chronic pain, raising concerns due to their association with adverse events such as increased hospitalization and falls. This study aims to address these gaps by analyzing contemporary prescribing patterns to inform better pain management strategies.