MedPage Today (4/8, George) reports a study found that “the number of U.S. patients prescribed long-term opioid therapy declined from 2015 to 2023, but co-prescribing of opioids with gabapentinoids increased.” Researchers found that in “2023, 4.2 million people had an active long-term opioid therapy episode, defined as a period of opioid dispensing lasting at least 90 days. This represents a 24.3% drop from 5.6 million people in 2015.” Across the same time period, “co-prescribing of opioids with gabapentinoids (e.g., gabapentin and pregabalin) rose substantially, from 47% in 2015 to 58.7% in 2023. Stimulant co-prescriptions increased from 5.9% to 6.7%, while benzodiazepine co-prescribing decreased from 43.8% to 33.5%. Additionally, between 2015 and 2023, the mean age of patients with long-term opioid therapy increased from 52.5 to 60.5 years.” Researchers concluded, “Because older adults are at higher risk of adverse events from polypharmacy, the increased rate of co-prescribing, particularly with gabapentinoids, raises additional safety concerns.” The study was discussed in a JAMA research letter.
The American Journal of Managed Care (4/8, Shaw) adds that the “demographics of who stays on opioids for the long term have shifted significantly. The mean (SD) patient age climbed from 52.5 (12.9) years in 2015 to 60.5 (12.4) years in 2023. The share of patients aged 65 and older more than doubled, rising from 17.0% to 38.8%. An increase was also seen in patients aged 55 to 64 years, from 25.5% to 27.5.” An encouraging sign is that “average daily dosing fell, from a mean (SD) of 47.9 (71.3) morphine milligram equivalents per day in 2015 to 38.6 (50.6) in 2023.”
Psychiatric News (4/8) also provides coverage.
Related Links:
— MedPage Today (requires login and subscription)