Ten-year trends in opioid prescribing and vaso-occlusive crises in sickle cell disease: a population-based national cohort study (2011-2022).

ABSTRACT:

Background

Patterns of opioid prescribing and vaso-occlusive crises (VOCs) are poorly characterized among individuals with sickle cell disease (SCD) across diverse insurance types and age groups. We aimed to evaluate opioid prescribing and VOC trends in publicly and commercially insured individuals with SCD over a 10-year time period in the United States (US).

Methods

We conducted a retrospective cohort study of US administrative claims (2011-2022), analyzing 45,726 commercial and Medicaid beneficiaries with SCD. Primary outcomes were monthly rates of outpatient opioid prescriptions and VOC-related acute care encounters. We used joinpoint regression models to estimate trends without pre-specifying breakpoints, stratified by insurance type (Medicaid vs commercial) and age gro

SUBMITTER: Xu KY 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12396581 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature