Trends in prescription opioid analgesic use in Australia from 2015 to 2022.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Recent measures to curb use and harms of pharmaceutical opioids in Australia have reduced dispensings of opioid analgesics for pain, under Australia's Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS). But information on trends in private (self-funded) dispensings and public (government-funded) hospital opioids use is not readily available. Our study describes eight-year population-level trends in Australia's prescribed opioid analgesic use, estimating PBS dispensing claims, private dispensings and hospital use.

Methods

Our descriptive study used two datasets covering 2015 to 2022: national IQVIA data on all (PBS/private) pharmaceutical sales to community pharmacies, hospitals and other settings, and PBS dispensing claims data for a 10 % sample of Australian residents, extrapo

SUBMITTER: Chidwick K 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12021341 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature