Excessive Opioid Prescribing Practices Increase Risk of Subsequent Opioid Misuse

Background: Does filling an opioid prescription after surgery heighten an adolescent’s chances of developing opioid use disorder? Some data suggest that many of the initial and refill prescriptions for this age group may be unnecessary. In fact, NSAIDs and acetaminophen are the first-line therapy for procedures associated with mild to moderate pain. Little is currently known about initial prescription timing and refill opioid prescribing for youths, an age group defined by the authors as 11 to 20 years. The authors of this study hypothesized that preoperative prescriptions would be associated with increased risk of prolonged refills. Objective: To look at changes in the proportion of initial opioid prescriptions that were filled up to 14 days prior to surgery, refills up to 180 days after surgery, and number of pills dispensed. Design: Retrospective cohort study. Methods: Using a national commercial insurance database, the authors selected 22 procedures common to the defined age grou more...