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Receipt of multiple outpatient opioid prescriptions is associated with increased risk of adverse outcomes in youth: opioid prescribing trends, individual characteristics, and outcomes from 2005 to 2016.

ABSTRACT: Data on all outpatient opioid prescriptions (N = 71,647) to youth below age 21 (N = 42,020) from 2005 to 2016 were extracted from electronic medical records within a university hospital system in New Mexico (NM) as were demographic details and markers of morbidity/mortality. Relative risk was calculated for markers of morbidity/mortality based on sociodemographic characteristics. The sample was primarily male (55.0%), Hispanic/Latinx (50.1%), English-speaking (88.9%), and publicly insured (50.1%). Mean age was 13.54 (SD = 6.50). From 2005 to 2016, overall frequency of opioid prescriptions increased by 86.6% (from 2470 to 4610) with the largest increase (206.2%) observed from 2005 to 2008 (2470-7562). Patients who were older, white, and non-Hispanic were more likely to receive multiple opioid prescriptions. Large relative increases in morbidity and mortality were documented, although base rates remained low. The percentage of individuals within the sample who experienced an overdose increased steadily from 0 in 2005 to 1.09% in 2016. Incidence of mortality increased from 0.12% of the sample to 1.39% in 2016. The proportion of individuals who received a medication for the treatment of opioid dependence increased from 0.06% in 2005 to 0.44% in 2016. Significantly increased risk of adverse outcomes was observed in patients receiving multiple opioid prescriptions, and in patients who were older, of minority race, received their first prescription in an outpatient clinic, and publicly insured or uninsured. Results add to the growing literature concerning opioid prescription rates over time. They also provide important information on potential additive risks of adverse outcomes when pediatric patients receive multiple opioid prescriptions.

SUBMITTER: Pielech M

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7347211 | biostudies-literature |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Project description:ImportanceHigh-dose and long-duration opioid prescriptions remain relatively common among children and adolescents, but there is insufficient research on the association of state laws limiting the dose and/or duration of opioid prescriptions (referred to as opioid prescribing cap laws) with opioid prescribing for this group.ObjectiveTo examine the association between state opioid prescribing cap laws and the receipt of opioid prescriptions among children and adolescents.Design setting and participantsThis repeated cross-sectional study used a difference-in-differences approach accounting for staggered policy adoption to assess the association of state opioid prescribing cap laws in the US from January 1, 2013, to December 31, 2019, with receipt of opioid prescriptions among children and adolescents. Analyses were conducted between March 22 and December 15, 2021. Data were obtained from the OptumLabs Data Warehouse, a national commercial insurance claims database. The analysis included 482 118 commercially insured children and adolescents aged 0 to 17 years with full calendar-year continuous insurance enrollment between 2013 and 2019. Individuals were included for every year in which they were continuously enrolled; they did not need to be enrolled for the entire 7-year study period. Those with any cancer diagnosis were excluded from analysis.ExposureImplementation of a state opioid prescribing cap law between January 1, 2017, and July 1, 2019. This date range allowed analysis of the same number years for both pre-cap and post-cap data.Main outcomes and measuresOutcomes of interest included receipt of any opioid prescription and, among those with at least 1 opioid prescription, the mean number of opioid prescriptions, mean morphine milligram equivalents (MMEs) per day, and mean days' supply.ResultsAmong 482 118 children and adolescents (754 368 person-years of data aggregated to the state-year level), 245 178 (50.9%) were male, with a mean (SD) age of 9.8 (4.8) years at the first year included in the sample (data on race and ethnicity were not collected as part of this data set, which was obtained from insurance billing claims). Overall, 10 659 children and adolescents (2.2%) received at least 1 opioid prescription during the study period. Among those with at least 1 prescription, the mean (SD) number of filled opioid prescriptions was 1.2 (0.8) per person per year. No statistically significant association was found between state opioid prescribing cap laws and any outcome. After opioid prescribing cap laws were implemented, a -0.001 (95% CI, -0.005 to 0.002) percentage point decrease in the proportion of youths receiving any opioid prescription was observed. In addition, percentage point decreases of -0.01 (95% CI, -0.10 to 0.09) in high-dose opioid prescriptions (>50 MMEs per day) and -0.02 (95% CI, -0.12 to 0.08) in long-duration opioid prescriptions (>7 days' supply) were found after cap laws were implemented.Conclusions and relevanceIn this cross-sectional study, no association was observed between state opioid prescribing cap laws and the receipt of opioid prescriptions among children and adolescents. Alternative strategies, such as opioid prescribing guidelines tailored to youths, are needed.

Project description:BackgroundIn response to India's unacceptably high burden of anemia among children aged 6-59 mo, the central government introduced the National Iron Plus Initiative program which recommends an intervention of iron supplementation to mitigate anemia, especially iron deficiency anemia.ObjectiveThe objective of this study was to examine the trend (between 2005-2006 and 2015-2016) in receiving weekly iron supplementation (WIS) among children aged 6-59 mo, and factors associated with receiving WIS during 2015-2016.MethodsTwo waves of the nationally representative cross-sectional National Family Health Survey (NFHS) data collected during 2005-2006 (NFHS-3) and 2015-2016 (NFHS-4) were used. The trend was measured using both rounds of datasets, whereas factors associated with WIS receipt were assessed from NFHS-4. The trend was assessed using a sample of 35,650 children from NFHS-3 and 202,227 children from NFHS-4. After exclusion of 8978 cases, a total of 199,110 children were included to analyze the factors associated with receiving WIS. Using appropriate sample weighting, unadjusted and adjusted (multivariate) logistic regression analyses were deployed. Application of the chi-squared test and checking for multicollinearity were also part of the analysis. The possibility of sample selection bias was tested.ResultsAn increase of WIS receipt (from 4.6% in 2005-2006 to 26% in 2015-2016) was observed. Older children, children living in rural areas, children belonging to Scheduled Tribes, children of mothers with secondary education or higher, and children whose mothers had some mass media exposure had higher odds of receiving WIS. Children of fifth or higher birth order, children who were followers of Islam and Christianity, children from the richest economic group, noninstitutional birth of children, and children from high-focus group states were negatively associated with WIS receipt.ConclusionsDespite improvement (between 2005-2006 and 2015-2016) in receiving WIS, coverage remains unacceptably low (in absolute terms). The suboptimum performance of WIS intervention demands further investigation.

Project description:ImportanceThe receipt of overlapping opioid and benzodiazepine prescriptions is associated with increased overdose risk. It is unknown whether this increase in risk varies when overlapping prescriptions are written by multiple prescribers vs 1 prescriber.ObjectiveTo evaluate the association between receipt of overlapping opioid and benzodiazepine prescriptions from multiple prescribers and overdose risk.Design, setting, and participantsThis cohort study was conducted using 2017 to 2018 claims from the Optum deidentified Clinformatics Data Mart. Participants were patients with private insurance or Medicare Advantage aged 12 years or older with overlapping opioid and benzodiazepine prescriptions. Data were analyzed from March through November 2020.ExposuresFor each patient, person-days on which opioid and benzodiazepine prescriptions overlapped were identified. The exposure was whether these prescriptions were written by multiple prescribers vs 1 prescriber.Main outcomes and measuresThe outcome was a treated overdose, defined as the occurrence of 1 or more claims containing a diagnosis code for opioid or benzodiazepine poisoning on a person-day of opioid-benzodiazepine overlap. The association between exposure and outcome at the person-day level was estimated using logistic regression, controlling for opioid and benzodiazepine prescribing patterns, demographics, and comorbidities. The average marginal effect (AME) of the exposure, defined as the absolute difference in the probability of a treated overdose if all person-days of overlap involved prescriptions from multiple prescribers vs 1 prescriber, was calculated.ResultsAmong 529 053 patients, the mean (SD) age was 61.2 (15.6) years and 350 857 (66.3%) were female patients. Mean (SD) follow-up was 198.7 (249.8) days. During follow-up, overdose occurred on 1 or more person-days of opioid-benzodiazepine overlap for 2288 patients (0.4%, or 1 in 231 patients). There were 52 989 316 person-days of opioid-benzodiazepine overlap. Among 19 895 457 person-days (37.5%) involving prescriptions from multiple prescribers, there were 1390 overdoses (7.0 per 100 000 person-days), and among 33 093 859 person-days (62.5%) involving prescriptions from 1 prescriber, there were 1302 overdoses (3.9 per 100 000 person-days). Overdose risk was increased 1.8-fold (95% CI, 1.6-1.9) on person-days of overlap involving prescriptions from multiple prescribers vs 1 prescriber. The association between multiple prescribers and increased risk of overdose persisted in adjusted analyses (adjusted odds ratio, 1.20; 95% CI, 1.10-1.31; AME, 0.91 per 100 000 person-days of overlap; 95% CI, 0.46-1.37).Conclusions and relevanceThis study found that among patients already at increased risk of overdose owing to concurrent treatment with opioids and benzodiazepines, overdose risk was increased further when multiple prescribers were responsible for this treatment regimen compared with 1 prescriber. This increased risk was not fully accounted for by differences in prescribing patterns, demographics, or comorbidities. This finding suggests that other factors, such as poor care coordination, may be associated with the increase in risk.

Project description:Importance:Little is known to date about national trends in the prescribing of skeletal muscle relaxants (SMRs), the use of which is associated with important safety concerns, especially in older adults and in those who use concomitant opioids. Objective:To measure national trends in SMR prescribing over a 12-year period. Design, Setting, and Participants:This cross-sectional study used data from the National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey from January 2005 to December 2016. Data were analyzed from August 21, 2018, to July 18, 2019. The study included patients with ambulatory care visits who had encounters with non-federally funded, office-based physicians in the United States. Exposures:SMR use, categorized as newly prescribed or continued therapy at the office visit. Main Outcomes and Measures:Ambulatory care visits-overall and stratified by calendar year, geographic region, and patient age, sex, and race-in which an SMR was newly prescribed or continued were quantified. Among office visits in which an SMR was newly prescribed, diagnoses were assessed. Concomitant medications were quantified for all office visits, stratified by new or continued therapy. Survey visit weights were used to estimate nationally representative measures, and age-standardized rates were generated by geographic region using US Census data. Results:This study included a total of 314 970 308 office visits (mean [SD] age, 53.5 [15.2] years; 194 621 102 [61.8%] men and 120 349 206 [38.2%] women). In 2016, there were 30?730?262 (95% CI, 30?626?464-30?834?060) US ambulatory care visits in which an SMR was either newly prescribed or continued as ongoing therapy. Patients in these visits were most frequently female (58.2% [95% CI, 57.9%-58.6%]), white (53.7% [95% CI, 53.4%-54.0%]), and aged 45 to 64 years (48.5% [95% CI, 48.2%-48.9%]). During the study period, office visits with a prescribed SMR nearly doubled from 15.5 million (95% CI, 15.4-15.6 million) in 2005 to 30.7 million (95% CI, 30.6-30.8 million) in 2016. Although visits for new SMR prescriptions remained stable, office visits with continued SMR drug therapy tripled from 8.5 million (95% CI, 8.4-8.5 million) visits in 2005 to 24.7 million (95% CI, 24.6-24.8 million) visits in 2016. Older adults accounted for 22.2% (95% CI, 21.8%-22.6%) of visits with an SMR prescription. Concomitant use of an opioid was recorded in 67.2% (95% CI, 62.0%-72.5%) of all visits with a continuing SMR prescription. Conclusions and Relevance:This study found that SMR use increased rapidly between 2005 and 2016, which is a concern given the prominent adverse effects and limited long-term efficacy data associated with their use. These findings suggest that approaches are needed to limit the long-term use of SMRs, especially in older adults, similar to approaches to limit long-term use of opioids and benzodiazepines.

Project description:Introduction:We assess trends in opioid administration and prescribing from 2005-2015 in older adults in United States (U.S.) emergency departments (ED). Methods:We analyzed data from the National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (NHAMCS) survey from 2005 to 2015. ED visits for painful conditions were selected and stratified by age (18-64, 65-74, 75-84, ? 85 years). We analyzed trends in opioid administration in the ED and prescribing at discharge to encounters ? 65 and assessed predictors of use using survey-weighted chi-square tests and logistic regression. Trends in the use of five commonly prescribed opioids were also explored. Results:Opioid administration in the ED and prescribing at discharge for encounters with patients ? 65 years fell overall, but not significantly. By contrast, opioid administration in the ED and prescribing at discharge significantly declined for adult encounters 18-64 by 20% and 32%, respectively. A similar proportion of adult encounters ? 65 were administered opioids in the ED as 18-64, but adult encounters ? 85 had the lowest rates of administration. A smaller proportion of adult encounters ? 65 years with painful conditions were prescribed opioids at discharge compared to <65. However, this age-related disparity in prescribing narrowed over the study period. There were shifts in the specific types of opioids administered and prescribed in adult encounters ? 65 years over the study period, with the most notable being a 76% increase in hydromorphone administration comparing 2005-06 to 2014-15. Conclusion:From 2005-15, 1 in 4 to 1 in 10 ED patients with painful conditions were administered or prescribed an opioid in U.S. EDs. Opioids prescribing increased from 2005-11 and then declined from 2012-15, more so among visits in the 18-64 age group compared to ? 65 years. Opioid administrating demonstrated a gradual rise and decline in all adult age groups. Age consistently appears to be an important consideration, where opioid prescribing declines with advancing age. Given the nationwide opioid crisis, ED providers should remain vigilant in limiting opioids, particularly in older adults who are at higher risk for adverse effects.

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Receipt of multiple outpatient opioid prescriptions is associated with increased risk of adverse outcomes in youth: opioid prescribing trends, individual characteristics, and outcomes from 2005 to 2016.

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