Opioid medication and driving ability

In many European countries the use of opioids for long-term treatment of nonmalignant pain has dramatically increased during the last decade in order to improve the patient's quality of life, to allow an active social life and the return to work. In modern society, driving is regarded as an essential activity of daily living. Since opioids are centrally acting drugs that may interfere with the ability of safely driving a motor vehicle, the question arises of whether or not and on which conditions patients under continuous opioid medication may be considered fit to drive. In this article the evidence from recent studies of opioid effects on driving ability of patients is reviewed. Based on these data, the prerequisites and restrictions for driving under chronic opioid medication are outlined and practical guidelines are proposed. (c) 2004 European Federation of Chapters of the International Association for the Study of Pain. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.