Perceptions of Barriers to Using Opioid Analgesics: A Mixed Methods Study

Abstract

Background:Availability and accessibility of opioids are a worldwide problem. In low-resource settings, such asEthiopia, access to opioids is either limited or nonexistent and legally restricted in health care settings. This studyaimed to identify barriers for the availability and accessibility of opioids in Ethiopian rural and regional health caresettings.Methods:A mixed-method case study design was used. A total of 220 nurses from primary, secondary, and ter-tiary health care settings were invited to participate in a survey of knowledge and practice. For the qualitativeinterview, 38 participants were recruited from educational facilities, health services, and the community acrossa region.Results:Barriers in availability and accessibility of opioid analgesics were expressing pain considered as a sign ofweakness, lack of knowledge, side effect concerns about prescribing morphine, only doctors being authorized toprescribe morphine, lack of foreign currency to import morphine ingredients, and inequity in accessing mor-phine in hospitals and none in rural health care settings.Conclusion:The findings of this study indicate that opioids, particularly morphine, were not consistently avail-able and accessible to all patients in need. Health professionals lacked knowledge about opioids. Strengtheningthe existing pain-free initiatives and improving the type, dose, and supply of morphine could help reduce need-less suffering and enhance access to essential pain medicines for those in need.