Prescription patterns and predictors of unmet pain relief in patients with difficult-to-treat osteoarthritis in the Nordics: analyses from the BISCUITS study.

This study shows a substantial use of pain medications (NSAID and opioids) in difficult-to-treat OA patients. These findings suggest that pain may be inadequately managed in a considerable number of patients with OA, particularly those with contraindications to an NSAID. A high comorbid and socioeconomic burden are relevant risk factors among patients who continue to use opioids for a long period of time.