Geospatial Analysis of Opioid Dispensing Patterns in California: A 2021 Real-World Study.

ABSTRACT: The misuse and abuse of opioids has become a serious public health threat in the United States. The state of California has been hit particularly hard by the opioid epidemic, with a noticeable increase in opioid-related fatalities and hospitalizations. This brief report paper aims to contribute to the growing literature by conducting a geospatial analysis of opioid dispensing patterns in California in 2021. The primary objective was to identify areas characterized by high-risk opioid dispending patterns and explore possible contributing factors. This retrospective study analyzed data from over 7 million records of opioid and benzodiazepine prescriptions dispensed by outpatient pharmacies in California in 2021. A series of generalized linear regression models was employed to assess the impa

SUBMITTER: Lu H 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10298226 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature