Article

OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether an interdisciplinary rehabilitation for chronic
musculoskeletal disorders is associated with changes in the purchase of
prescribed pain medication. DESIGN: Prospective register-based study. SUBJECTS:
Employees in the public sector (n = 4,365) who participated in the rehabilitation
programme between 1996 and 2009. METHODS: The changes in annual purchases of
prescribed pain medication were measured for a 9-year exposure window, starting
from 4 years before the start date of rehabilitation and ending 5 years after
this date. RESULTS: Purchases of prescribed pain medication increased throughout
the follow-up in all medication groups. The steepest increase was observed for
analgesics, antidepressants, and hypnotics and sedatives.
The growth rate of
annual purchase, however, slowed significantly following the year of the start of
rehabilitation for analgesics (annual growth rate (rate ratio) before and after
rehabilitation 1.27 and 1.04, respectively, difference in trend p < 0.001);
antidepressants (rate ratio 1.17 and 1.09, p = 0.005); and muscle relaxants (rate
ratio 1.31 and 1.01, p < 0.001). For anxiolytics, and hypnotics and sedatives, no
differences were observed in the trends of annual purchase before and after
rehabilitation. CONCLUSION: Rehabilitation was associated with a slowing increase
in purchases of prescribed pain medication amongst rehabilitants. This may be a
reflection of the positive effect that rehabilitation has on the need for pain
medication.

Langue : ANGLAIS