It’s estimated that 7.1 million adults in England take prescribed opioid or gabapentinoid pain medications*1.
The number of prescriptions in England and Wales for opioid painkillers has risen dramatically from more than 14 million in 2008 to 23 million in 2018*2 – with the North East being the biggest culprit*3.
Across County Durham over 55,000 prescriptions for opioids and gabapentinoids are dispensed every month*4, with an estimated 8,000 patients a month taking a risky combination of two classes*4
NO ONE SHOULD HAVE TO CHOOSE BETWEEN LIVING IN CHRONIC PAIN AND BATTLING ADDICTION.
- Source: Public Health England, 2019
- Source: Department of Health, 2019
- Source: Faculty of Pain Medicine, Royal College of Anaesthetists, 2019
- Source: BSA EPACT2, 2019
Painkillers Don’t Exist is an NHS campaign across both Sunderland and County Durham that aims to raise awareness of the dangerous effects of long-term, high-dose prescription pain medication and empower people living with pain to make
informed decisions about their health.