Prescription Opioids Dispensed to Patients with Cancer with Bone Metastasis: 2011-2017. Academic Article uri icon

Overview

abstract

  • Opioid therapy is a first-line approach for moderate-to-severe pain associated with cancer with bone metastasis (CBM). The decade-long decline in opioid prescribing in the U.S. would not be expected to affect patients with CBM. We investigated trends in opioids dispensed to patients with CBM using data from a large commercial claims database. From 2011 quarter 2 to 2017 quarter 4, the percentage of patients with CBM prescribed at least 1 day of opioids in a quarter declined from 28.1% to 24.5% (p < .001) for privately insured patients aged 18-64 years and from 39.1% to 30.5% (p < .001) for Medicare Advantage (MA) patients aged 65 years or older. Among patients with at least 1 day of opioids in a quarter, the average morphine milligram equivalents dispensed declined by 37% and 11% (p < .001 for both) for privately insured and MA patients, respectively. Our findings raise concerns about potential unintended consequences related to population-level reduction in opioid prescribing.

publication date

  • July 21, 2021

Research

keywords

  • Analgesics, Opioid
  • Bone Neoplasms

Identity

PubMed Central ID

  • PMC8488796

Scopus Document Identifier

  • 85110965414

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

  • 10.1002/onco.13898

PubMed ID

  • 34227175

Additional Document Info

volume

  • 26

issue

  • 10