Bottom Line: National and state trends for opioid prescriptions filled at U.S. retail pharmacies are estimated from 2006 through 2017 in this analysis of data from outpatient prescribing records. Each year an average of nearly 234 million opioid prescriptions were filled. Several key measures of opioid prescribing varied among states. Two-to-three-fold variation was found among states for five of six key prescribing metrics studied. Two-to-three-fold variation was found among states for five of six key prescribing metrics studied. Researchers suggest their findings may help states as they create laws, policies, communications and interventions tailored to their specific opioid-related problems.
Authors: Lyna Z. Schieber, M.D., D.Phil. (Oxon), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, and coauthors
(doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2019.0665)
Editor's Note: The article contains conflict of interest disclosures. Please see the article for additional information, including other authors, author contributions and affiliations, financial disclosures, funding and support, etc.
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