TY - JOUR
T1 - Overprescribing of Opioids to Adults by Dentists in the U.S., 2011–2015
AU - Suda, Katie J.
AU - Zhou, Jifang
AU - Rowan, Susan A.
AU - McGregor, Jessina C.
AU - Perez, Rosanne I.
AU - Evans, Charlesnika T.
AU - Gellad, Walid F.
AU - Calip, Gregory S.
N1 - Funding Information:
Research reported in this publication was supported by the Agency for Health care Research and Quality under award number R01 HS25177 (Principal Investigator, KJS).
PY - 2020/4
Y1 - 2020/4
N2 - Introduction: Dentists prescribe 1 in 10 opioid prescriptions in the U.S. When opioids are necessary, national guidelines recommend the prescription of low-dose opioids for a short duration. This study assesses the appropriate prescribing of opioids by dentists before guideline implementation. Methods: The authors performed a cross-sectional analysis of a population-based sample of 542,958 U.S. commercial dental patient visits between 2011 and 2015 within the Truven Health MarketScan Research Databases (data analysis October 2018‒April 2019). Patients with recent hospitalization, active cancer treatment, or chronic pain conditions were excluded. Prescription opioids were ascertained using pharmacy claims data with standardized morphine equivalents and recorded days’ supply. Appropriate prescribing was determined from the 2016 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines for pain management based on a recommended 3 days’ supply of opioid medication and anticipated post-procedural pain. Results: Twenty-nine percent of prescribed opioids exceeded the recommended morphine equivalents for appropriate management of acute pain. Approximately half (53%) exceeded the recommended days’ supply. Patients aged 18–34 years, men, patients residing in the Southern U.S., and those receiving oxycodone were most likely to have opioids prescribed inappropriately. The proportion of opioids that exceed the recommended morphine equivalents increased over the study period, whereas opioids exceeding the recommended days’ supply remained unchanged. Conclusions: Between 1 in 4 and 1 in 2 opioids prescribed to adult dental patients are overprescribed. Judicious opioid-prescribing interventions should be tailored to oral health conditions and dentists.
AB - Introduction: Dentists prescribe 1 in 10 opioid prescriptions in the U.S. When opioids are necessary, national guidelines recommend the prescription of low-dose opioids for a short duration. This study assesses the appropriate prescribing of opioids by dentists before guideline implementation. Methods: The authors performed a cross-sectional analysis of a population-based sample of 542,958 U.S. commercial dental patient visits between 2011 and 2015 within the Truven Health MarketScan Research Databases (data analysis October 2018‒April 2019). Patients with recent hospitalization, active cancer treatment, or chronic pain conditions were excluded. Prescription opioids were ascertained using pharmacy claims data with standardized morphine equivalents and recorded days’ supply. Appropriate prescribing was determined from the 2016 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines for pain management based on a recommended 3 days’ supply of opioid medication and anticipated post-procedural pain. Results: Twenty-nine percent of prescribed opioids exceeded the recommended morphine equivalents for appropriate management of acute pain. Approximately half (53%) exceeded the recommended days’ supply. Patients aged 18–34 years, men, patients residing in the Southern U.S., and those receiving oxycodone were most likely to have opioids prescribed inappropriately. The proportion of opioids that exceed the recommended morphine equivalents increased over the study period, whereas opioids exceeding the recommended days’ supply remained unchanged. Conclusions: Between 1 in 4 and 1 in 2 opioids prescribed to adult dental patients are overprescribed. Judicious opioid-prescribing interventions should be tailored to oral health conditions and dentists.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85081223079&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85081223079&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.amepre.2019.11.006
DO - 10.1016/j.amepre.2019.11.006
M3 - Article
C2 - 32033856
AN - SCOPUS:85081223079
VL - 58
SP - 473
EP - 486
JO - American Journal of Preventive Medicine
JF - American Journal of Preventive Medicine
SN - 0749-3797
IS - 4
ER -