“I’m Not the Same Person Anymore”: Thematic Analysis Exploring Experiences of Dependence to Prescribed Analgesics in Patients with Chronic Pain in the UK

Abstract Introduction: The rising issue of dependence to prescribed pain medication for patients with chronic pain has been highlighted in the literature; however, there is a dearth of research exploring the patient perspective of this dependence in the United Kingdom (UK). This exploratory qualitative study aimed to investigate experiences of prescribed analgesic dependence in patients with chronic pain in the UK. Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with nine UK-based participants (eight females, one male) with a mean age of 44,