Table 1. Baseline Characteristics of Opioid RMG Recipients and Nonrecipients Receiving OAT Matched via High-Dimensional Propensity Score at the Time of First RMG Dispensation.
| Characteristic | RMGa | SMD between RMG and non-RMG recipients | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No opioid (n = 4633) | Opioid (n = 4633) | Before matching | After matching | |
| Sex | ||||
| Female | 1654 (35.7) | 1678 (36.2) | 0.03 | 0.01 |
| Male | 2973 (64.3) | 2955 (63.8) | −0.03 | −0.01 |
| Age, median (IQR), y | 38 (31-47) | 38 (31-47) | NA | NA |
| Age group, y | ||||
| 18-29 | 953 (20.6) | 911 (19.7) | 0.06 | −0.01 |
| 30-39 | 1639 (35.4) | 1614 (34.8) | 0.08 | −0.01 |
| 40-49 | 1179 (25.4) | 1177 (25.4) | 0.01 | 0.00 |
| ≥50 | 862 (18.6) | 931 (20.1) | −0.15 | 0.01 |
| Rural region | 461 (10) | 455 (9.8) | −0.01 | 0.00 |
| Vancouver or South/Central Vancouver Island | 2255 (48.7) | 2433 (52.5) | 0.21 | 0.04 |
| Receipt of income assistance in the past year | 3869 (83.5) | 3856 (83.2) | 0.25 | 0.00 |
| Unstable housing in the past yearb | 1711 (36.9) | 1753 (37.8) | 0.26 | 0.01 |
| OAT in the last week, noneb | 1799 (38.8) | 2053 (44.3) | 0.41 | 0.05 |
| OAT guideline compliance | ||||
| Noncompliant | 716 (15.5) | 492 (10.6) | −0.24 | −0.05 |
| Compliantc | 2118 (45.7) | 2088 (45.1) | −0.17 | −0.01 |
| Time since OUD diagnosis, y | ||||
| <5 | 2270 (49) | 2143 (46.3) | 0.09 | −0.03 |
| 5-9 | 1012 (21.8) | 1079 (23.3) | −0.01 | 0.01 |
| ≥10 | 1351 (29.2) | 1411 (30.5) | −0.08 | 0.01 |
| Charlson Comorbidity Index >0b | 242 (5.2) | 278 (6) | 0.01 | 0.01 |
| Chronic Disease Score, median (IQR)b | 1.8 (1.3-2.5) | 1.8 (1.3-2.5) | 0.09 | 0.00 |
| Overdose acute care visits in the past 30 db | 246 (5.3) | 247 (5.3) | 0.04 | 0.00 |
| Substance use disorder (ever)b | 4094 (88.4) | 4174 (90.1) | 0.07 | 0.02 |
| Alcohol use disorder (ever)b | 1931 (41.7) | 2032 (43.9) | 0.10 | 0.02 |
| Severe mental health disease (ever)b | 1270 (27.4) | 1356 (29.3) | 0.05 | 0.02 |
| HIV (ever)b | 307 (6.6) | 339 (7.3) | 0.04 | 0.01 |
| HCV (ever)b | 1030 (22.2) | 1030 (22.2) | 0.04 | 0.00 |
| Chronic pain in the past yearb | 1176 (25.4) | 1198 (25.9) | −0.03 | 0.00 |
| Tobacco use disorder in the past yearb | 673 (14.5) | 674 (14.5) | −0.03 | 0.00 |
| Any cancer or palliative care in the past yearb | 358 (7.7) | 354 (7.6) | −0.01 | 0.00 |
| Incarcerated in the past yearb | 366 (7.9) | 403 (8.7) | 0.06 | 0.01 |
| Physician attachment, single GP >50% of physician visitsb | 2691 (58.1) | 2396 (51.7) | −0.27 | −0.06 |
| Opioid dispensations in the past 60 db | 774 (16.7) | 852 (18.4) | 0.12 | 0.02 |
| Benzodiazepine dispensations in the past 60 db | 223 (4.8) | 220 (4.7) | −0.03 | 0.00 |
| Stimulant dispensations in the past 60 db | 177 (3.8) | 182 (3.9) | 0.01 | 0.00 |
Abbreviations, GP, general practitioner; HCV, hepatitis C virus; NA, not applicable; OAT, opioid agonist treatment; OUD, opioid use disorder; RMG, risk mitigation guidance; SMD, standardized mean difference.
a
The RMG prescriptions included hydromorphone tablets or sustained-release oral morphine.
b
Time-varying covariates used in the treatment and censoring weight models.
c
Based on the maximum daily dose per week from the 4th week of OAT episode initiation (≥80 mg for methadone; ≥16 mg/3 mg for buprenorphine/naloxone; ≥600 mg for slow-release oral morphine; ≥200 mg for injectable hydromorphone; ≥400 mg for injectable diacetylmorphine; 100 mg or 300 mg per month for extended-release buprenorphine; ≥80 mg for tablet injectable hydromorphone).