2018;18(1), 1-3 7 Foy R, Leaman B, McCrorie C. Prescribed opioids in primary care: cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses of influence of patient and practice characteristics. Prescribing opioids has increased since 1998,[1] with 12.8% of England's population having had a non-cancer opioid prescription dispensed over a 1 year interval.