Narcotic analgesic utilization amongst injured workers: using concept mapping to understand current issues from the perspectives of physicians and pharmacists

Table 1 Factors (items) influencing cluster ratings for NA over-utilization

Cluster	Influential items (factors) within cluster	Item #
*Addiction Risks*
	patient's history of NA use	28
	patient's history of addiction	45
	presence of comorbid conditions in patient (including psychological/mental)	40
	patient's request for NA	35
*Treatment Problems*
	poor or absent protocols for weaning patients off NA	27
	lack of education/support for physicians in pain management (i.e. lack of guidelines)	52
	unavailability of multidisciplinary team-based care	44
	inability to get non-pharmacological treatments (e.g. physiotherapy, acupuncture, massage therapy)	54
	lack of continuity of care	36
	lack of resources in assisting patients with NA addiction/withdrawal	21

ISSN: 1472-6963