{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,18]],"date-time":"2026-09-18T04:47:28Z","timestamp":1789706848825,"version":"4.0.1"},"reference-count":58,"publisher":"Wiley","issue":"9","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,9,1]],"date-time":"2025-09-01T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1756684800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"},{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,9,1]],"date-time":"2025-09-01T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1756684800000},"content-version":"tdm","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/doi.wiley.com\/10.1002\/tdm_license_1.1"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/100010414","name":"Health Research Board","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["SDAP\u20102019\u2010023"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["SDAP\u20102019\u2010023"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/100010414","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":["onlinelibrary.wiley.com"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["European Journal of Pain"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2025,10]]},"abstract":"<jats:title>ABSTRACT<\/jats:title>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Background<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Pain is a significant burden on individuals, healthcare systems and society. Analgesic drugs carry many therapeutic benefits; however, all drugs are associated with adverse effects and risk of harm. Non\u2010steroidal anti\u2010inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and opioids have been identified as particularly high\u2010risk due to the risk of side effects and\/or dependency. This study aims to examine how patterns of analgesic prescribing have changed in primary care in Ireland between 2014 and 2022.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Monthly data on medicines prescribed and dispensed in primary care on the means\u2010tested General Medical Services (GMS) scheme in Ireland was used. Prevalence, initiations, discontinuations, chronic use and high\u2010risk prescribing, as defined by Scottish Polypharmacy Guidance, were summarised per year.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>The prevalence of overall analgesic use decreased slightly over time, with 48.3% of GMS\u2010eligible individuals dispensed an analgesic in 2014 and 46.3% in 2022. This was largely driven by decreasing NSAID use, from 29.4% in 2014 to 25.0% in 2022. Prevalence for all other analgesic drug classes increased; however, after age\/sex adjustment, higher odds of use in 2022 versus 2014 only persisted for gabapentinoids and amitriptyline. Some forms of high\u2010risk prescribing increased over time, including NSAIDs dispensed with oral anticoagulants, corticosteroids and SSRIs, with fewer decreasing.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Conclusion<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>There was an overall reduction of analgesic use in Ireland, driven by decreasing systemic NSAID use. Although most other analgesic drug classes are increasing, this may largely be explained by changing demographics, particularly the age profile of the population. Despite this, interventions addressing rising high\u2010risk prescribing may be needed.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Statement of Significance<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Analgesic drug classes are an important focus for improving medication safety. This study suggests analgesic use is falling in Ireland, particularly for systemic NSAIDs, especially in older adults where adverse effects may be most harmful. The increasing prevalence of other analgesics may largely be explained by an ageing population. Analgesic use, and high\u2010risk prescribing, remains high, suggesting a need for enhanced access to non\u2010pharmacological services and interventions and also improved education and deprescribing support for healthcare professionals to address high\u2010risk prescribing.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1002\/ejp.70115","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,9,1]],"date-time":"2025-09-01T13:39:41Z","timestamp":1756733981000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1002\/crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":2,"title":["Patterns of Analgesic Prescribing and High\u2010Risk Prescribing in Primary Care in Ireland 2014\u20132022\u2014A Repeated Cross\u2010Sectional Study"],"prefix":"10.1002","volume":"29","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-7208-3613","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Molly","family":"Mattsson","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Pharmacy and Biomolecular Sciences RCSI 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