Opioid overdose deaths and potentially inappropriate opioid prescribing practices (PIP): A spatial epidemiological study.

ABSTRACT:

Introduction

Opioid overdose deaths quintupled in Massachusetts between 2000 and 2016. Potentially inappropriate opioid prescribing practices (PIP) are associated with increases in overdoses. The purpose of this study was to conduct spatial epidemiological analyses of novel comprehensively linked data to identify overdose and PIP hotspots.

Methods

Sixteen administrative datasets, including prescription monitoring, medical claims, vital statistics, and medical examiner data, covering >98% of Massachusetts residents between 2011-2015, were linked in 2017 to better investigate the opioid epidemic. PIP was defined by six measures: ≥100 morphine milligram equivalents (MMEs), co-prescription of benzodiazepines and opioids, cash purchases of opioid prescriptions, opioid prescriptio

SUBMITTER: Stopka TJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6685426 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature