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Opioid Risk Indicator

Opioids and chronic pain

Are you concerned about your use of an opioid medicine?

Find out if you may be developing a problem with opioid pain medicines — sometimes referred to as 'opioid-use disorder'. Answer 4 simple questions.

This tool asks 4 questions about your use of opioid medicines.

Please answer them as truthfully as you can, to help you decide what to do next. There are no right or wrong answers.

Question 1

In the past 3 months, did you use your opioid medicines for other purposes, for example, to help you sleep or to help with stress or worry?
Not at all
A little
Quite a lot
A great deal

Is my medicine an opioid?

If your medicine contains any of these active ingredients, it's categorised as an opioid. Click on the link to learn more about the active ingredient.

Or search for your medicine here, to see if it is an opioid pain-relief medicine.

Want to know more about opioids?

To find out more about opioid medicines and alternatives for managing pain, visit the healthdirect opioid medicines and pain hub.

Need help now?

In case of an emergency, call triple zero (000).

For free 24/7 support for opioid or other drug use, visit counsellingonline.org.au.

Go here for information about other support services in your state or territory, and online.

For health professionals

This patient has completed the Opioid Risk Indicator. This is an online opioid dependency tool provided by healthdirect. This tool is based on a section of the Routine Opioid Outcomes Monitoring (ROOM) Tool. The ROOM tool has been validated and is useful to help determine whether patients are at risk of prescription opioid dependence.

The questions included form the "opioid use disorder screening tool or 'OWLS'. This refers to Overuse, Worry about use, Loosing interest in usual activities and Slowed down or sedated.

How the assessment is scored

Not at all = 0, A little = 1, Quite a lot = 1, A great deal = 1

A total score of 3 or more over the four items indicates the patient is likely to meet criteria for opioid use disorder and that further assessment is warranted.

More information on the ROOM and OWLS tool is available from Monash Addiction Research Centre (MARC):

monash.edu/medicine/ehcs/marc/research/completed/room

More information on healthdirect.gov.au

  • Information 'hub' about opioid medicines and pain — healthdirect.gov.au/opioids
  • Common questions about opioid medicines and pain (FAQs) — healthdirect.gov.au/opioid-medicines-and-pain-faqs