Opioid and psychotropic medicine use in injured Australian workers

This thesis evaluated the negative impact of high-risk opioid and psychotropic medicine use on work outcomes among workers with compensated musculoskeletal disorders or injuries. It identified a high prevalence of high-risk prescribing patterns among injured workers with back and neck conditions, as well as significant variation in how the Australian workers’ compensation systems collect, code, and report healthcare and medicine data. The findings highlight the need for enhanced monitoring of high-risk prescribing, improved access to safer and more effective pain management alternatives, and the harmonisation of data systems to facilitate the tracking of funded medications for injured workers.