Recreational marijuana legalization and prescription opioids received by Medicaid enrollees.

ABSTRACT:

Objectives

Medical marijuana use may substitute prescription opioid use, whereas nonmedical marijuana use may be a risk factor of prescription opioid misuse. This study examined the associations between recreational marijuana legalization and prescription opioids received by Medicaid enrollees.

Methods

State-level quarterly prescription drug utilization records for Medicaid enrollees during 2010-2017 were obtained from Medicaid State Drug Utilization Data. The primary outcome, opioid prescriptions received, was measured in three population-adjusted variables: number of opioid prescriptions, total doses of opioid prescriptions in morphine milligram equivalents, and related Medicaid spending, per quarter per 100 enrollees. Two difference-in-difference models were used to test

SUBMITTER: Shi Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6318121 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature