High-risk use of prescription opioids among patients treated for alcohol problems in New York State. A repeated cross-sectional study, 2005–2018

Background

Patients with alcohol use disorder (AUD) and high-risk opioid use are at risk of serious complications. The purpose of this study was to estimate the prevalence of and factors associated with high-risk opioid use in patients with an alcohol use problem from 2005 to 2018.

Methods

This repeated cross-sectional study analyzed data from first admissions for alcohol treatment (2005–2018) to the NYS Office of Addiction Services and Supports merged with Medicaid Claims Data. High-risk opioid use was defined as opioid dose ≥50 morphine mg equivalents (MME) per day; opioid prescriptions overlapping ≥7 days; opioids for chronic pain >90 days or opioids for acute pain >7 days.

Results

Patients receiving ≥50 MME increased from 690 to 3226 from 2005 to 2010; then decreased to 2330 in 2018. From 2005–2011, patients with opioid prescriptions overlapping ≥7 days increased from 226 to 1594 then decreased to 892 in 2018. From 2005–2010, opioid use >7 days for acute pain increased from 133 to 970 and plateaued after 2010. From 2005–2018, patients who received opioids >90 days for chronic pain trended from 186 to 1655. White patients, females, age 36–55, patients with chronic and acute pain diagnoses had the highest rates of high-risk use.

Conclusions

The prevalence of high-risk opioid use in patients with alcohol use problems increased from 2005 to 2011, and generally decreased after 2010. However, prevalence of opioids >90 days for chronic pain trended up from 2005 to 2018. High-risk opioid use among patients with AUD emphasizes the need to develop interventional strategies to improve patient care.