RT Journal Article SR Electronic T1 Chronic pain management in primary care JF Canadian Family Physician JO Can Fam Physician FD The College of Family Physicians of Canada SP 570 OP 579 DO 10.46747/cfp.7009570 VO 70 IS 9 A1 May, Curtis A1 Peterson, Sandra A1 Gooderham, Ellie A1 Hedden, Lindsay A1 McCracken, Rita K. A1 Lavergne, M. Ruth YR 2024 UL http://www.cfp.ca/content/70/9/570.abstract AB Objective To examine trends in chronic pain (CP) practice patterns among community-based family physicians (FPs).Design Population-based descriptive study using health administrative data.Setting British Columbia from fiscal years 2008-2009 to 2017-2018.Participants Patients with an algorithm-defined CP condition and community-based FPs, both registered with the British Columbia Medical Services Plan.Main outcome measures Using British Columbia health administrative data and a CP algorithm adapted from a previous study, the following were compared between fiscal years 2008-2009 and 2017-2018: CP patient volumes, pain-related medication prescriptions, referrals to pain specialists, musculoskeletal imaging requests, and interventional procedures.Results In the fiscal year 2017-2018, among community-based family physicians (N=4796), an average of 32.5% of their patients had CP. Between 2008-2009 and 2017-2018, the proportion of CP patients per FP who were prescribed long-term opioids increased by an average absolute change of 0.56%; the proportion prescribed long-term neuropathic pain medications increased by 1.1%; and the proportion prescribed long-term nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs decreased by 0.49%. The proportion of musculoskeletal imaging out of all imaging requests made by FPs increased by 2.0%; pain-related referrals increased by 1.73%; there was a 4.6% increase in the proportion of community-based FPs who performed 1 or more pain injections; and 10% more FPs performed 1 or more trigger point injections within a fiscal year.Conclusion Findings show that the work of providing care to patients with CP increased while CP patient volumes per FP decreased. Workforce planning for community-based FPs should consider these increased demands and ensure FPs are adequately supported to provide CP care.