New Chronic Pain and Drug Dependence Service in Brisbane Hospital

New Brisbane service to help tackle chronic pain and pharmaceutical dependence
Brisbane's St Andrew’s War Memorial Hospital has launched a new inpatient unit for people suffering from chronic pain and associated issues, including dependence on pharmaceuticals, as part of its  Multidisciplinary Pain Service expansion.
Deputy Chief Medical Officer of UnitingCare Health and St Andrew’s War Memorial Hospital’s Director of Medical Services, Dr Christian Rowan, said the new unit would help address the need for pain and drug dependence treatment.
“Chronic or persistent pain is Australia’s third most costly health condition, and people with chronic pain are at increased risk of depression, anxiety and social isolation ... One in five Australians will suffer chronic pain in their lifetime and this figure rises to one in three people over the age of 65," Dr Rowan said.
“The new St Andrew’s Multidisciplinary Pain Service (StAMPS) Pain and Dependency Unit will provide integrated services in a supportive environment for people who require investigation, assessment, stabilisation and treatment of both chronic pain and substance dependency.”
Dr Rowan, who is also Medical Director of Addiction Sciences Queensland, said dependency on prescription opioid analgesics, painkillers and illicit drugs were growing problems in Australia and that there had been a rise in the sales of both over-the-counter and prescription types.
According to the latest 2013 Australian Institute of Health and Welfare National Drug Strategy Household Survey results, misuse of pharmaceuticals has risen from 3.7% in 2007 to 4.7% in 2013.
Of the three quarters of people surveyed who reported misuse of any kind of painkiller or analgesic,  three quarters had misused over-the-counter painkillers and half had misused prescription painkillers.
Dr Rowan said research  shows that chronic, non-malignant pain was best managed using an integrated, interdisciplinary approach, which StAMPS provides with access to medical specialists in pain, addiction and rehabilitation medicine, as well as a comprehensive outpatient program involving psychologists, physiotherapists and occupational therapists.
“The new St Andrew’s Pain and Dependency inpatient unit complements the established and successful outpatient pain program, which provides a focus on cognitive behavioural therapy, education on the neurophysiology of pain, and graded physical activity,” he said.
“While the unit currently comprises six beds, that number is likely to grow to meet community demand for services.”