Reductions in sustained prescription opioid use within the US between 2017 and 2021
Abstract Over the last decade, various efforts have been made to curtail the opioid crisis. The impact of these efforts, since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, has not been well characterized. We sought to develop national estimates of the prevalence of sustained prescription opioid use for a tim...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Nature Portfolio
2024-01-01
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| Series: | Scientific Reports |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-52032-4 |
| _version_ | 1827377366272311296 |
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| author | Andrew J. Schoenfeld Satish Munigala Jonathan Gong Roman J. Schoenfeld Amanda Banaag Christian Coles Tracey P. Koehlmoos |
| author_facet | Andrew J. Schoenfeld Satish Munigala Jonathan Gong Roman J. Schoenfeld Amanda Banaag Christian Coles Tracey P. Koehlmoos |
| author_sort | Andrew J. Schoenfeld |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Over the last decade, various efforts have been made to curtail the opioid crisis. The impact of these efforts, since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, has not been well characterized. We sought to develop national estimates of the prevalence of sustained prescription opioid use for a time period spanning the COVID-19 pandemic (2017–2021). We used TRICARE claims data (fiscal year 2017–2021) to identify patients who were prescription opioid non-users prior to receipt of a new opioid medication. We evaluated eligible patients for subsequent sustained prescription opioid use. The prevalence of sustained prescription opioid use during 2020–2021 was compared to 2017–2019. We performed multivariable logistic regression analyses to adjust for confounding. We performed secondary analyses that accounted for interactions between the time period and age, as well as a proxy for socioeconomic status. We determined there was a 68% reduction in the odds of sustained prescription opioid use (OR 0.32; 95% CI 0.27, 0.38; p < 0.001) in 2020–2021 as compared to 2017–2019. Significant reductions were identified across all US census divisions and all patient age groups. In both time periods, the plurality of encounters associated with initial receipt of an opioid that culminated in sustained prescription opioid use were associated with non-specific primary diagnoses. We found significant reductions in sustained prescription opioid use in 2020–2021 as compared to 2017–2019. The persistence of prescribing behaviors that result in issue of opioids for poorly characterized conditions remains an area of concern. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-08T12:38:06Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-12a3709c60d3439281aaa3a4cf87e74a |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2045-2322 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-08T12:38:06Z |
| publishDate | 2024-01-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Scientific Reports |
| spelling | doaj.art-12a3709c60d3439281aaa3a4cf87e74a2024-01-21T12:18:09ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222024-01-011411910.1038/s41598-024-52032-4Reductions in sustained prescription opioid use within the US between 2017 and 2021Andrew J. Schoenfeld0Satish Munigala1Jonathan Gong2Roman J. Schoenfeld3Amanda Banaag4Christian Coles5Tracey P. Koehlmoos6Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Center for Surgery and Public Health, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical SchoolDepartment of Preventive Medicine and Biostatistics, Uniformed Services University of the Health SciencesDepartment of Orthopaedic Surgery, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical SchoolMedfield Public SchoolsDepartment of Preventive Medicine and Biostatistics, Uniformed Services University of the Health SciencesDepartment of Preventive Medicine and Biostatistics, Uniformed Services University of the Health SciencesDepartment of Preventive Medicine and Biostatistics, Uniformed Services University of the Health SciencesAbstract Over the last decade, various efforts have been made to curtail the opioid crisis. The impact of these efforts, since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, has not been well characterized. We sought to develop national estimates of the prevalence of sustained prescription opioid use for a time period spanning the COVID-19 pandemic (2017–2021). We used TRICARE claims data (fiscal year 2017–2021) to identify patients who were prescription opioid non-users prior to receipt of a new opioid medication. We evaluated eligible patients for subsequent sustained prescription opioid use. The prevalence of sustained prescription opioid use during 2020–2021 was compared to 2017–2019. We performed multivariable logistic regression analyses to adjust for confounding. We performed secondary analyses that accounted for interactions between the time period and age, as well as a proxy for socioeconomic status. We determined there was a 68% reduction in the odds of sustained prescription opioid use (OR 0.32; 95% CI 0.27, 0.38; p < 0.001) in 2020–2021 as compared to 2017–2019. Significant reductions were identified across all US census divisions and all patient age groups. In both time periods, the plurality of encounters associated with initial receipt of an opioid that culminated in sustained prescription opioid use were associated with non-specific primary diagnoses. We found significant reductions in sustained prescription opioid use in 2020–2021 as compared to 2017–2019. The persistence of prescribing behaviors that result in issue of opioids for poorly characterized conditions remains an area of concern.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-52032-4 |
| spellingShingle | Andrew J. Schoenfeld Satish Munigala Jonathan Gong Roman J. Schoenfeld Amanda Banaag Christian Coles Tracey P. Koehlmoos Reductions in sustained prescription opioid use within the US between 2017 and 2021 Scientific Reports |
| title | Reductions in sustained prescription opioid use within the US between 2017 and 2021 |
| title_full | Reductions in sustained prescription opioid use within the US between 2017 and 2021 |
| title_fullStr | Reductions in sustained prescription opioid use within the US between 2017 and 2021 |
| title_full_unstemmed | Reductions in sustained prescription opioid use within the US between 2017 and 2021 |
| title_short | Reductions in sustained prescription opioid use within the US between 2017 and 2021 |
| title_sort | reductions in sustained prescription opioid use within the us between 2017 and 2021 |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-52032-4 |
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