Treatment of Severe Pain and Opioid-induced Constipation: An Observational Study of Quality of Life, Resource Use, and Costs in Sweden

INTRODUCTION Opioid-induced constipation (OIC) is a common and costly side effect of opioid treatment affecting patients' quality of life (QoL). The combination oxycodone/naloxone reduces OIC while providing effective analgesia in patients with moderate to severe pain. The objective of this observational study was to compare health-related quality of life (HRQoL), healthcare resource use, and costs in patients with severe pain who were initially treated with oxycodone and laxatives and then subsequently switched to treatment with oxycodone/naloxone. METHODS Data were collected by means of questionnaires completed by patients with OIC before and after the initiation of oxycodone/naloxone treatment at different clinical centers in Sweden. The questionnaires included questions on healthcare resource use and absence from work and also consisted of the Patient Assessment of Constipation-QoL (PAC-QoL) instrument, the EuroQol five dimensions questionnaire (EQ-5D), the Patient Assessment of Constipation Symptoms (PAC-SYM) instrument, and the Bowel Function Index (BFI). RESULTS The analysis included 37 patients. Resource utilization was lower after treatment with oxycodone/naloxone, in terms of both the number of healthcare contacts and the purchases of medicine for the treatment of constipation. According to the BFI score, patients had fewer problems with OIC after the initiation of oxycodone/naloxone. The PAC-QoL score showed a positive change for patients in both the 96-point dissatisfaction index and the 16-point satisfaction index. PAC-SYM scores was lower after the initiation of oxycodone/naloxone treatment, indicating fewer constipation-related problems. CONCLUSION Treatment with oxycodone/naloxone had an overall positive effect on patients, consisting mainly of decreasing the severity of the constipation problems, increasing HRQoL, and decreasing the use of healthcare resources. FUNDING Mundipharma AB, Gothenburg, Sweden.