CHANGES IN THE PATTERN OF ANALGESIC OPIOID DRUGS CONSUMPTION IN SPAIN

BACKGROUND: Data from different sources have proved an infrautilizatio n of opioid analgesics in Spain, A descriptive study has been conducte d in order to know the utilization of these drugs and changes in the p attern of use in the last few years, MATERIAL AND METHOD: TO know the consume of narcotic analgesic drugs, NO2A group of the Anatomic Therap eutic Classification, a search was developed in the ECOM database from the Spanish Ministry of Health, This database contains information of drug preparations prescribed throughout the National Health Care Syst em, RESULTS: The consumption of opioid analgesics in Spain has been mu ltiplied by 5.2 during this period, It has increased from 94.7 defined daily dose per 1,000,000 inhabitants in 1985 to 489.4 in 1994, The mo st consumed drug in 1994 was dihydrocodeine, followed by tramadol, The number of defined daily dose per inhabitant and day of parenteral adm inistration have decreased during the last years. CONCLUSIONS: Availab ility of new analgesic opioid drugs with better pharmacokinetic profil es has contributed to an increase of their consume in Spain.