Prescription Opioid Misuse Risk Detection Scale (EDRIMO)
Chronic pain is currently one of the main reasons why people seek medical help. Among the pharmacological treatments that exist to tackle it, the use of opioid drugs stands out, the consumption of which has increased in Spain from 10.74 daily doses per 1,000 inhabitants per day (DHD) in 2012 to 22.26 DHD in 2022, which represents an increase of more than double (AEMPS, 2024). Scientific literature has highlighted the adverse effects of opioid medication when it is not used properly or is abused. In Spain, the Plan for the Optimization of the Use of Opioid Analgesics in Non-Oncological Chronic Pain in the National Health System was designed and approved in 2021. Among its objectives, it defined the need to establish a method to identify patients most likely to engage in misuse and addiction to these medications. Thus, prior risk assessment has become a crucial step in making informed decisions. In this regard, the Psychology&Pain group of the Faculty of Psychology and Speech Therapy of the University of Malaga has developed the Prescription Opioid Misuse Risk Detection Scale (EDRIMO). This is a 25-question questionnaire, of proven psychometric quality, which assesses the presence of a risk of misuse of prescription opioids. The identification and classification of people at risk would allow health professionals to make informed decisions to prescribe the most appropriate medications and carry out the necessary follow-up, thus providing personalized care. This task must be carried out by psychology professionals with specific training in the management of chronic pain.
