Opioid Prescribing to Adolescents upon Discharge from an Admission of 48 Hours or Less

Abstract The purpose of this study was to examine prescribing patterns and identify characteristics associated with an adolescent being prescribed an opioid at time of discharge from a hospital stay of 48 hours or less. We performed a retrospective cross-sectional analysis of EHR data from a pediatric health system. Our sample included 2,180 patient visits resulting in a pain medication prescribed at time of discharge. We found 35% of the sample received a prescription for an opioid medication upon discharge. Both patient and clinical factors such as age, insurance status, pain scores, and unit of discharge were significantly associated with increased odds of receiving an opioid upon discharge. This work contributes to understanding how an adolescent population is exposed to opioids through the healthcare system. Characterizing opioids prescribed upon discharge is one step towards a better understanding of how opioids enter communities and impact public health.