Prescription opioids among older adults: ten years of data across five countries.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Opioid use has increased globally in the recent decade. Although pain remains a significant problem among older adults, susceptibility to opioid-related harms highlights the importance of careful opioid therapy monitoring on individual and societal levels. We aimed to describe the trends of prescription opioid utilisation among residents aged ≥65 in all Nordic countries during 2009-2018.

Methods

We conducted cross-sectional measurements of opioid utilisation in 2009-2018 from nationwide registers of dispensed drugs in Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden. The measures included annual opioid prevalence, defined daily doses (DDDs) per 1000 inhabitants per day (DIDs), and morphine milligram equivalents (MMEs) per user per day.

Results

From 2009 to 201

SUBMITTER: Hamina A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9112605 | biostudies-literature | 2022 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature