Risky Opioid Prescriptions Linked to Higher Chance of Death

A new RAND Corporation study published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine is the first to examine various subtypes of risky prescribing of opioids and tie such prescribing to a broad array of deadly outcomes, reports ScienceDaily . The researchers examined prescription records for residents of Massachusetts over five years, identifying six types of risky prescriptions. More than 6 percent of Massachusetts adults were given a risky opioid prescription during the study period. The subtypes of risky prescribing of opioids included high-dose opioid prescriptions; prescribing of opioids along with the anti-anxiety medication benzodiazepines; opioids prescribed to someone by four or more prescribers in a calendar year; filling opioid prescriptions at four or more pharmacies per annum; paying cash for an opioid prescription three or more times over three months; and prescribing opioids without documentation of a pain diagnosis. More than 50 percent of Massachusetts adults received at least one opioid prescription between 2011 and 2015, and more than 11 percent of those individuals experienced at least one kind of risky opioid prescription. Moreover, more than 13 percent of subjects age 80 and older received at least one prescription, which contradicts the public image of the opioid crisis as a problem among young people. The strongest linkage to any cause of death was receiving a high-dose prescription for opioids and lacking a documented pain diagnosis. Five of the six risky prescription subtypes were associated with a fatal opioid overdose, with the exception being making cash payments for opioids.