Determinants of long-term opioid prescribing in an urban population: A cross-sectional study.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Opioid prescribing has more than doubled in the UK between 1998 and 2016. Potential adverse health implications include dependency, falls and increased health expenditure.

Aim

To describe the predictors of long-term opioid prescribing (LTOP) (≥3 opioid prescriptions in a 90-day period).

Design and setting

A retrospective cross-sectional study in 41 general practices in South London.

Method

Multi-level multivariable logistic regression to investigate the determinants of LTOP.

Results

Out of 320 639 registered patients ≥18 years, 2679 (0.8%) were identified as having LTOP. Patients were most likely to have LTOP if they had ≥5 long-term conditions (LTCs) (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] 36.5, 95% confidence interval [CI] 30.4-43.8) or 2-4 LTCs (AOR 13.

SUBMITTER: Naughton M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9305420 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature