Opioid prescribing by multiple providers in Medicare: retrospective observational study of insurance claims.

ABSTRACT:

Objectives

To estimate the frequency and characteristics of opioid prescribing by multiple providers in Medicare and the association with hospital admissions related to opioid use.

Design

Retrospective cohort study.

Setting

Database of prescription drugs and medical claims in 20% random sample of Medicare beneficiaries in 2010.

Participants

1,808,355 Medicare beneficiaries who filled at least one prescription for an opioid from a pharmacy in 2010.

Main outcome measures

Proportion of beneficiaries who filled opioid prescriptions from multiple providers; proportion of these prescriptions that were concurrently supplied; adjusted rates of hospital admissions related to opioid use associated with multiple provider prescribing.

Results

Among 1,208,100

SUBMITTER: Jena AB 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3928962 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature