One in 10 Older Dental Patients Inappropriately Prescribed Opioids

A study in Pharmacotherapy suggests a substantial number of older patients receiving opioids at dental visits also use psychotropic medications, which could have potentially harmful interactive effects, reports EurekAlert . The researchers examined medical, dental, and pharmacy claims data from the IBM Watson MarketScan databases on 40,800 older adults who visited a dentist between 2011 and 2015 and were prescribed opioids. Average subject age was 69 and 45 percent of subjects were female. Ten percent were taking medications associated with heightened risks for harm with opioid prescriptions. A total of 947 hospitalizations or emergency room visits were observed among these patients. Ten percent of patients prescribed opioids by their dentist were already on a prescription medication that should not be prescribed with opioids. They were 23 percent more likely to be hospitalized or visit an emergency department in the 30 days after the dental visit where they were prescribed an opioid, versus those not prescribed opioids. "Although the percentage of opioids prescribed by dentists has decreased in the last 20 years, dentists must continue interprofessional collaboration with primary care physicians, pharmacists, and other healthcare providers to address devastating and preventable drug interactions affecting vulnerable patients who look to them for safe and compassionate care," recommended Susan Rowan at the University of Illinois Chicago College of Dentistry.