A new study finds that 3.8 percent of chronic-pain patients misuse prescription medications like OxyContin and Percocet, a rate about four times higher than among the general population, Reuters reported Aug. 3.

Researcher Michael F. Fleming of the University of Wisconsin at Madison and colleagues also found that patients who had addiction problems tended to exhibit "aberrant" behavior, such as requesting early refills, raising dosage without authorization, intentionally oversedating themselves, or using opioids for reasons other than treating pain.

However, the authors said, "considering the potential benefit to improving the lives of patients with chronic pain, a 3.8-percent rate of opioid addiction is a small risk compared with the alternative of continuous pain and suffering."

The study included 801 patients with an average age of 49 and who, on average, had had pain problems for 16 years.

The findings were reported in the July 2007 issue of the Journal of Pain.