Prescription Opioid Use in Older Adults: Trends and Changes in New and Long-Term Use in the United States, 2013-2020.

ABSTRACT:

Background

There is limited knowledge regarding prescription opioid use following the release of the 2016 CDC guidelines, which recommended prioritizing non-opioid therapies for chronic pain, prescribing the lowest effective opioid dose for the shortest duration, and closely monitoring to minimize risks. This study evaluated trends in new and long-term prescription opioid use among older Medicare beneficiaries from January 2013 to September 2020.

Methods

This cohort study utilized 5% national Medicare claims data from 2012 to 2020, including older Medicare beneficiaries (≥ 65 years) with Parts A, B, and D, but not Part C enrollment for at least 10 months in a year. Annual utilization of individual demographic and clinical characteristics, average morphine milligram equivalen

SUBMITTER: Bhattacharya K 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12436516 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature