Self Reported Health Care Resource Use and Indirect Economic Burden of Opioid Induced Constipation (Oic)

To describe the health care resource utilization associated with the diagnosis, treatment, and general management of opioid-induced constipation (OIC) and events attributed to OIC including the negative impact on job-related activities. A prospective longitudinal study conducted in the United States (US), Canada (CN), UK (UK), and Germany (GE) of patients with OIC who have been on opioid therapy for at least four weeks was conducted. OIC related medical history and health care resource use was collected from participants self report. The number of hours missed from work and the extent to which the work productivity and regular daily activities were affected was collected using the WPAI-SHP. A total of 489 eligible participants (US: 238; CN: 38;, GE: 115; UK: 98). Back pain (77%) and joint pain (52%) were the most common pain diagnosis with an average duration of chronic pain and opioid medication use of 10 and 6 years respectively. 27% of participants were currently employed. 18% of participants used at least one prescription laxative; 70% reported using at least one over-the-counter (OTC) laxative with the most common being stimulant laxatives (20%), osmotic laxatives (15%) and stool softeners (7%). 63% of participants reported discussing OIC with a health care provider, 3.0% reported a visit to the emergency room and 2.0% reported being admitted to a hospital because of their OIC during a 6-month time period. 9% of employed participants reported missing an average of 4.6 hours per week because of problems associated with constipation and 32% reported impairment while working due to constipation. The cumulative impact of OTC use, physician office visits and the negative impact on work-related activities for OIC may be substantial.