Long-Term Opioid Therapy and Risk of Opioid Overdose by Derived Clinical Indication in North Carolina, 2006-2018.

ABSTRACT:

Purpose

Long-term opioid therapy (LTOT) has been shown to be associated with opioid overdose, but the definition of LTOT varies widely across studies. We use a rigorous LTOT definition to examine risk of opioid overdose by duration of treatment.

Methods

Data were from a large private health insurance provider in North Carolina linked to mortality records from 2006-2018. Eligible patients were adults (18-64) newly initiating opioid therapy after a pain diagnosis or surgery. We defined LTOT as ≥ 1 opioid prescription per month totaling ≥ 60 days' supply within 90 days. We used inverse probability (IP)-weighted cumulative incidence functions to estimate three-year risk of opioid overdose and IP-weighted Fine-Gray models to estimate sub-distribution hazard ratios, comparing LTOT

SUBMITTER: DiPrete BL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12034376 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature