Addictions to Prescriptions Medicines Review

As part of the review of evidence on dependence, and the short term discontinuation or longer term withdrawal symptoms associated with prescribed medicines, PHE wishes to commission an external partner to undertake a Rapid Evidence Assessment (REA) which includes a call for papers, and to synthesise the findings into one report that: a) Describes the harms associated with dependence, and the short term discontinuation and longer term withdrawal symptoms from the following prescribed medicines: opioids for chronic pain (excluding end of life /palliative care/cancer pain), benzodiazepines, Z-drugs, gabapentin and pregabalin (excluding epilepsy treatment), and antidepressants

b) Describes the factors that contribute to the risk of harms associated with dependence and and the short term discontinuation or longer term withdrawal symptoms from the medicines listed in the review.

c) Identifies effective and cost effective approaches to the prevention and treatment of dependence and and the short term discontinuation or longer term withdrawal symptoms from the medicines listed in the review.

d) Summarises evidence about patients' own experiences of the harms caused by prescribed medicines specifically relating to dependence and and the short term discontinuation or longer term withdrawal symptoms from the medicines listed in the review.

e) Identifies and describes existing examples of best practice (e.g. services providing withdrawal support) and evaluates the effectiveness and cost effectiveness of the UK health/social service delivery models that prevent or treat dependence and the short term discontinuation or longer term withdrawal symptoms associated with the medicines listed in the review (as well as health service delivery models in other countries that might inform UK provision).