Opioid Dependence and Respiratory Health: Understanding and Managing the Impact
Date: Tuesday 16th December, 2025
Time: 5pm GMT / 6pm CET
Watch our Winter 2025 educational webinar led by Professor Philip Bruggman and joined by Mr Duncan Hill.
Opioids are well known to affect respiration, and opioid dependence becomes significantly more dangerous in people with comorbid respiratory conditions and in older adults because opioids directly depress the central nervous system, including the brain’s control of breathing. Conditions such as heart disease, COPD, sleep apnoea, and frailty further increase vulnerability – even at low opioid doses. In addition, older adults often take multiple medications (e.g., benzodiazepines or sedatives) that can interact with opioids, amplifying the risk of respiratory depression and overdose.
This webinar, features the expert explanation of the underlying reasons for the heightened risks of opioid dependence in older adults and in individuals with respiratory comorbidities. They also share best-practice approaches to managing opioid dependence in these patient groups and explore strategies to overcome common barriers to care.
The agenda covers the following learning objectives:
- Outline the effects of opioid use on the respiratory system
- Evaluate the relationship between opioid dependence and chronic respiratory disease
- Describe potential solutions to manage respiratory conditions in patients with a chronic respiratory disease and opioid dependence
Who is the webinar for?
This 60-minute expert webinar is suitable for both primary and secondary care clinicians looking to improve their care and management of patients with opioid dependency.
Expert Faculty
Funding Statement
This IOTOD webinar is supported by grant funding from Camurus and Hospital Healthcare Europe. The educational programme is run at arm’s length from the financial supporters and all content is created by the faculty. No funder has had input into the content of the materials or presentations used in the educational programme. PCM Scientific is the medical education company acting as scientific secretariat and webinar organiser.