O’Brien MDC, et al. - In view of the aging global population and the concomitant rise in the use of opioid analgesia, researchers here investigated the effectiveness of opioids for chronic pain in older people. They systematically searched the databases MEDLINE, EMBASE, Pubmed, and PsychINFO and identified seven studies of low to high quality for inclusion. Despite continuing opioid therapy, the majority of older people reported experiences of ongoing pain. They identified the correlation of opioid use at baseline with severe pain, severe impairment in activities of daily living and a diagnosis of depression among nursing home residents. Opioid prescribers commonly had fear of causing harm to older people, limiting prescription. Educational interventions and access to an evidence base for opioid use were the identified facilitators of opioid prescriptions.