Impact of COVID-19 related policy changes on filling of opioid and benzodiazepine medications.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Healthcare access has changed drastically during the COVID-19 pandemic. Elective medical procedures, including routine office visits, were restricted raising concerns regarding opioid and benzodiazepine provider and prescription availability.

Objective

To examine how the cancelation of elective medical procedures due to COVID-19 impacted the dispensing of opioid and benzodiazepine prescriptions in Texas.

Methods

Interrupted time series analyses were preformed to examine changes in prescription trends for opioids and benzodiazepines before and after the restriction on elective medical procedures. Samples of patients who filled an opioid or benzodiazepine prescription from January 5, 2020 to May 12, 2020 were identified from the Texas Prescription Monitoring

SUBMITTER: Downs CG 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7738763 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature