AIMThis study aims to evaluate the prescription patterns and side effects of oxycodone in a local hospital setting.

MATERIALS AND METHODSThis is a retrospective analysis of all patients who were prescribed oxycodone for acute or chronic pain from June to November 2007. Patients' names were obtained from the hospital pharmacy and data were collected with a set of questionnaire after review of their casenotes. Prescription was compared with other recommended opioid prescription guidelines. Side effects to oxycodone use were documented.

RESULTSOne hundred and thirty patients were prescribed oxycodone for the 6-month study period. Prescription by the orthopaedic surgeons was the highest, followed by the pain service. Most patients had a clear indication for use of oxycodone and appropriate dosing regimes. However, two thirds of the patients prescribed oxycodone were not reviewed with regard to their analgesia within 24 hours and one third did not have titration of the drug to their pain symptoms. Majority of the patients had outpatient follow-up within 4 weeks of discharge. Common side effects included nausea, vomiting and constipation.

CONCLUSIONThis is the first local audit that profiles oxycodone prescription patterns and its side effects. Prescription of oxycodone was appropriate for the majority of the study population. Patient assessment upon initiation of oxycodone therapy and titration of the drug to patients' pain symptoms was suboptimal. Oxycodone was well tolerated by the study population with minimal side effects. Further quality measures and ongoing education of clinicians will ensure future patients obtain safe and effective analgesia.