Table 3.

Regression‐Adjusted Questionable Opioid Use and Abuse Estimates by Opioid Use Subpopulation, 2006–2012

	2006 (%)	2007 (%)	2008 (%)	2009 (%)	2010 (%)	2011 (%)	2012 (%)
Beneficiaries with any opioid use
Opioid abuse diagnosisa	1.17	1.10	1.26	1.49	1.78	2.17	–
Opioid overdose diagnosis	0.23	0.22	0.24	0.29	0.37	0.41	0.36
Doctor shopping	1.35	1.27	1.37	1.45	1.47	1.42	1.34
Pharmacy shopping	0.29	0.31	0.33	0.36	0.35	0.33	0.29
Beneficiaries with chronic opioid use (measured by ≥6 fills)
Opioid abuse diagnosisa	2.56	2.60	2.97	3.46	4.13	4.94	–
Opioid overdose diagnosis	0.54	0.53	0.56	0.66	0.81	0.89	0.78
Doctor shopping	3.68	3.60	3.80	3.94	3.89	3.75	3.55
Pharmacy shopping	0.81	0.90	0.95	1.00	0.98	0.91	0.81
Beneficiaries with chronic opioid use (measured by ≥90 consecutive days of use)
Opioid abuse diagnosisa	3.16	3.22	3.63	4.16	4.83	5.63	–
Opioid overdose diagnosis	0.68	0.66	0.68	0.78	0.92	1.01	0.86
Doctor shopping	3.78	3.69	3.83	3.87	3.73	3.48	3.20
Pharmacy shopping	0.97	1.10	1.12	1.16	1.11	0.99	0.86

Findings control for differences in age, sex, race, dual eligibility, low‐income status, disability status, ESRD status, end‐of‐life status, various diagnoses, and health status.

Opioid abuse and overdoes diagnoses are defined as in Table S1.

Doctor shopping are beneficiaries who fill opioid prescriptions from four or more unique providers and have at least one overlapping opioid prescription in a 90‐day period.

Pharmacy shopping are beneficiaries who fill opioid prescriptions at four or more unique pharmacies and have at least one overlapping opioid prescription in a 90‐day period.

^aDue to data redaction of substance abuse claims, there are no claims for opioid abuse in 2012.