Construct validity and reproducibility of the Prescription Opioid Misuse And Abuse Questionnaire (POMAQ)

The Prescription Opioid Misuse and Abuse Questionnaire was developed to identify prescription opioid abuse and misuse among patients with chronic pain, however, evidence of construct validity and reproducibility is needed.

Chronic pain patients were recruited from five Department of Defense Military Health System clinics across the United States. Construct validity was examined using subjective clinician-reported and patient-reported measures as well as objective information (e.g. hair/urine drug screens and electronic medical records). Test-retest reliability was assessed across 2 timepoints among a subgroup of patients with stable chronic pain.

Of 3,263 screened patients, 938 (28.7%) met eligibility and were enrolled; 809 (86.2%) completed the Prescription Opioid Misuse and Abuse Questionnaire. Construct validity was supported by comparison to other validated questionnaires and hair and urine screens which yielded high agreements with patient reports on the Prescription Opioid Misuse and Abuse Questionnaire. Electronic medical record data supported patients’ Prescription Opioid Misuse and Abuse Questionnaire responses regarding physician and emergency room visits and opioid refills. The Prescription Opioid Misuse and Abuse Questionnaire had excellent test–retest reliability; the percentage agreement between the two Prescription Opioid Misuse and Abuse Questionnaire administrations was high (>90%) for most questions.

Results suggest that the Prescription Opioid Misuse and Abuse Questionnaire is a valid and reproducible tool that can be used to assess the presence of prescription opioid misuse and abuse among patients with chronic pain.