Prescription Opioids – An Overview

What are opioids?

Opioids can be a type of prescription medicine often provided for severe pain. Common types of prescription opioids include codeine, oxycodone, morphine, fentanyl and medicinal cannabis.

Prescription opioids work by depressing or slowing down the function of the central nervous system – your brain and spinal cord – to relieve pain. As well as working on trying to reduce pain, they also affect other parts of your body.


Are you taking prescription opioids or know someone who is? Explore the following resources to find out more.

Is it an opioid?
Could I be dependent?
Common side effects

3.1 Million Australians are prescribed opioids yearly¹

Over the course of a year, 20% of Australians over 45 years will be prescribed at least one opioid.²

Why are they dangerous?

The misuse of prescription opioids can result in an accidental overdose, hospitalisation and even death. While prescription opioids can be very effective in managing severe pain, like many medications they can also cause negative side effects and have unintended consequences.³

In fact, 80% of people who take prescription opioids for more than three months will have a negative side effect, which may include slower and shallower breathing and drowsiness.⁴
To find out more about the potential side effects, click here

1 in 10 people who misuse them become dependent⁵

All opioids can be addictive, and it’s important to be aware of your risk of developing a dependence. Some people are more at risk than others, particularly if they have been taking them for a long time, have been taking high doses, are a smoker, have a history of mental illness, or a family history of addiction.⁶

The first steps of dependency can begin after just 5 days⁷

The likelihood of becoming dependent increases with every extra day you take the medication, starting from the third day. After the fifth day, the chances of you becoming dependent increase significantly.

Taking opioids over a period of time can lead to certain physical (the body) and psychological (the mind and emotions) changes.

1,045 Australians died of an opioid overdose in 2016⁸

This is a 62% increase since 2007.⁹

In 2016, prescription opioids were involved in more deaths and hospitalisations than heroin.¹⁰

Every day in Australia, prescription opioids are involved in nearly 150 hospitalisations and the death of 3 people.¹¹


Are you taking prescription opioids or know someone who is? Explore the following resources to find out more.

Is it an opioid?
Could I be dependent?
Common side effects

[1] Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, Australian Government (2018), Opioid harm in Australia: and comparisons between Australia and Canada.

[2] NIDA (2019) Prescription Opioids, Prescription Opioids DrugFacts | National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) (nih.gov).

[3] NIDA (2019) Prescription Opioids, Prescription Opioids DrugFacts | National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) (nih.gov).

[4] NPS MedicineWise (2019), Chronic pain.

[5] Penington Institute (2017), sourced from SBS Australia, Australia’s Addiction to Prescription Meds Is Nearing Crisis Point.

[6] The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (2017), Prescribing drugs of dependence in general practice. Part C1: Opioids.

[7] Shah A, Corey  JH & Bradley CM (2017), ‘Characteristics of Initial Prescription Episodes and Likelihood of Long-Term Opioid Use — United States, 2006–2015’ in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, 66(10).

[8] National Drug & Alcohol Research Centre, UNSW Sydney (2018), Majority of opioid overdose deaths in Australia are related to pharmaceutical opioids.

[9] Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, Australian Government (2018), Opioid harm in Australia: and comparisons between Australia and Canada.

[10] Australian Bureau of Statistics (2016), Drug Induced Deaths In Australia.

[11] Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, Australian Government (2018), Opioid harm in Australia: and comparisons between Australia and Canada.