James talks to Joanne Rimington about prescribing opioids. Safe opioid dosing may be challenging for junior doctors. Errors when prescribing opioids can be severe & even life-threatening.
Summary Writers: Linda Wu, Emily Nash
Editor: Joanne Rimington, Tim Suharto, Nhi Nguyen
Interviewee: Joanne Rimington
Joanne works as a senior pharmacist for education and training, South Eastern Sydney Local Health District. She previously worked as a clinical pharmacist at Prince of Wales Hospital. Joanne’s main areas of interest are improving inter-professional education opportunities, strategies to improve management of high-risk medicines including narcotics, as well as improving knowledge and understanding by patients of their own medicines to enhance medication safety.
With Joanne Rimington, Senior Pharmacist for education and training in South Eastern Sydney Local Health District
Opioids are amongst the most commonly used medications in hospital. With a range of types, routes and formulations, safe opioid dosing may be challenging for junior doctors. Errors in prescribing of opioids can be severe and even life-threatening due to their high risk side effect profile. Joanne Rimington talks to us about the important factors to consider when prescribing opioids.
You are a junior doctor asked to review a 65-year-old female patient who is day 2 post elective hip replacement. She has a history of minor renal impairment and has been on regular oxycodone for 2 days. You would like to prescribe ongoing analgesia and discharge analgesia.
Oxycodone would still be appropriate if patient had mildly impaired renal function – may need to reduce dose and add paracetamol.
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