FACT: A June 2023 Australian study known as the OPAL Trial claimed opioids don’t work for acute low back or neck pain and should never be prescribed, even as a last resort. The full pdf of the study is here.

The problem? The study was small, short-term, and poorly designed, and its conclusions were immediately misrepresented by the media and policymakers to justify broader restrictions on pain care.

Our review found serious red flags:

• The trial used a medication not typically prescribed for acute pain in Australia.
  
• Several authors had ties to anti-opioid groups and organizations funded by Indivior, maker of Suboxone.
  
• The Lancet, which published the study, requested commentary from PROP’s Jane Ballantyne and Mark Sullivan, figures long associated with the anti-opioid narrative.
  
• The lead author of the OPAL trial also co-authored Australia’s opioid deprescribing guidelines, further blurring science and advocacy.

This study is already being used as a weapon against pain patients, despite its limitations and conflicts of interest.  Understanding how and why this happened is critical for anyone defending access to ethical pain care.

For a detailed breakdown, including the study design, author disclosures, and Dr. Chad Kollas’ full analysis, visit our Patreon page.