A Multi-centre Survey on Tramadol Abuse in Singapore

The rampant prescription of opioid has in part contributed to the ongoing worldwide opioid crisis. In the United States of America, it is estimated that death from the use of opioids outnumber death from motor vehicle accident deaths by more than 40%. Consequently, many countries such as America and Canada have drawn up guidelines pertaining to safe opioid prescribing.

Tramadol is often used by pain physicians to treat chronic pain. As it is a weak opioid and unscheduled in many countries, it is often considered to have a lower addiction potential compared to strong opioids. Despite this, the literature does reveal evidence of abuse, addiction and withdrawal - although the incidence of this is unclear.

In this study, the investigators aim to determine the prevalence of tramadol misuse in a pain clinic population. The investigators also aim to determine the real-life compliance of physicians to guidelines provided by International regulatory bodies (CDC) and the modifiable risk factors associated with tramadol misuse.