TABLE. Trends in the annual percentage*of adults aged ≥20 years who had an opioid prescription filled, by age group and sex — United States, 2008–2018.
| Sex/Age group (yrs) | Patients with at least one opioid prescription filled |
% Change from 2008 to 2018 | AAPC (95% CI) from 2008 to 2018§ | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 |
2018 |
|||||||
| No. (%)* | OR (95% CI) | Opioid prescription per patient† | No. (%)* | OR (95% CI) | Opioid prescription per patient† | |||
|
Men and women
| ||||||||
|
Total¶
|
60,954,146 (27.8)
|
N/A
|
3.6
|
47,504,970 (19.2)
|
N/A
|
3.6
|
−31
|
−3.5 (−4.9 to −2.1)
|
| 20–24 |
4,755,234 (22.5) |
Referent |
2.0 |
2,468,395 (11.2) |
Referent |
1.7 |
−50 |
−6.7 (−7.5 to −5.9) |
| 25–34 |
11,000,783 (27.4) |
1.30 (1.29 to 1.31)** |
2.7 |
6,786,718 (14.8) |
1.37 (1.36 to 1.38)** |
2.5 |
−46 |
−5.9 (−7.3 to −4.5) |
| 35–44 |
11,466,903 (27.2) |
1.29 (1.28 to 1.30)** |
3.4 |
7,417,100 (17.9) |
1.73 (1.72 to 1.74)** |
3.4 |
−34 |
−3.9 (−5.3 to −2.6) |
| 45–54 |
12,989,778 (29.2) |
1.42 (1.41 to 1.43)** |
4.2 |
8,547,366 (20.4) |
2.04 (2.03 to 2.05)** |
4.0 |
−30 |
−3.3 (−4.2 to −2.4) |
| 55–64 |
9,843,599 (28.8) |
1.39 (1.38 to 1.40)** |
4.1 |
10,184,432 (23.9) |
2.49 (2.48 to 2.50)** |
4.5 |
−17 |
−1.7 (−2.3 to −1.0) |
| ≥65 |
11,463,550 (29.6) |
1.45 (1.44 to 1.46)** |
3.8 |
13,177,942 (25.0) |
2.64 (2.63 to 2.65)** |
3.8 |
−16 |
−1.7 (−2.3 to −1.0) |
|
Men
| ||||||||
|
Total¶
|
25,415,537 (23.8)
|
Referent
|
3.4
|
19,819,894 (16.5)
|
Referent
|
3.7
|
−31
|
−3.5 (−6.6 to −0.4)
|
| 20–24 |
1,828,929 (16.9) |
Referent |
1.9 |
925,544 (8.2) |
Referent |
1.7 |
−51 |
−6.5 (−8.0 to −5.0) |
| 25–34 |
4,341,681 (21.5) |
Referent |
2.6 |
2,491,609 (10.6) |
Referent |
2.9 |
−51 |
−6.7 (−8.6 to −4.7) |
| 35–44 |
4,884,731 (23.3) |
Referent |
3.3 |
3,010,659 (14.5) |
Referent |
3.5 |
−38 |
−4.4 (−6.2 to −2.7) |
| 45–54 |
5,749,176 (26.3) |
Referent |
4.1 |
3,677,678 (17.8) |
Referent |
4.0 |
−32 |
−3.6 (−4.7 to −2.6) |
| 55–64 |
4,376,831 (26.6) |
Referent |
4.0 |
4,612,416 (22.4) |
Referent |
4.5 |
−16 |
−1.5 (−2.2 to −0.8) |
| ≥65 |
4,434,694 (26.7) |
Referent |
3.4 |
5,531,474 (23.5) |
Referent |
3.6 |
−12 |
−1.2 (−2.3 to −0.0) |
|
Women
| ||||||||
|
Total¶
|
35,538,609 (31.5)
|
1.45 (1.44 to 1.46)††
|
3.7
|
27,685,077 (21.9)
|
1.45 (1.44 to 1.46)††
|
3.6
|
−30
|
−3.2 (−4.5 to −2.0)
|
| 20–24 |
2,926,305 (28.3) |
1.95 (1.94 to 1.96)†† |
2.0 |
1,542,851 (14.3) |
1.88 (1.87 to 1.89)†† |
1.6 |
−49 |
−7.0 (−7.5 to −6.4) |
| 25–34 |
6,659,102 (33.0) |
1.79 (1.78 to 1.80)†† |
2.7 |
4,295,109 (19.0) |
1.97 (1.96 to 1.98)†† |
2.4 |
−42 |
−5.3 (−6.6 to −4.0) |
| 35–44 |
6,582,172 (31.1) |
1.49 (1.48 to 1.50)†† |
3.5 |
4,406,440 (21.3) |
1.58 (1.57 to 1.59)†† |
3.2 |
−32 |
−3.6 (−4.8 to −2.4) |
| 45–54 |
7,240,602 (32.0) |
1.32 (1.31 to 1.33)†† |
4.3 |
4,869,688 (23.0) |
1.38 (1.37 to 1.39)†† |
4.0 |
−28 |
−3.0 (−3.8 to −2.3) |
| 55–64 |
5,466,768 (30.9) |
1.24 (1.23 to 1.25)†† |
4.2 |
5,572,016 (25.3) |
1.17 (1.16 to 1.18)†† |
4.5 |
−18 |
−1.8 (−2.4 to −1.2) |
| ≥65 | 7,028,856 (31.7) | 1.27 (1.26 to 1.28)†† | 4.1 | 7,646,467 (26.1) | 1.23 (1.22 to 1.24)†† | 4.0 | −18 | −1.8 (−3.2 to −0.5) |
Abbreviations: AAPC = average annual percentage change; CI = confidence interval; N/A = not applicable; OR = odds ratio.
* Percentages are age-adjusted to the 2000 U.S. census population.
† Calculated by totaling the number of opioid prescriptions and dividing by the total number of patients who received at least one opioid prescription in a study year.
§ Indicates that AAPC was significantly different from zero at the alpha = 0.05 level.
¶ The numbers by age groups do not sum to the total number of all adults aged ≥20 years in each study year because the total number was calculated for patients aged ≥20 years from Total Patient Tracker to avoid potential double-counting of persons who progress in age; these patient numbers are weighted estimates.
** Indicates Pearson’s chi-squared test was significant (p<0.001) compared with those aged 20–24 years who had an opioid prescription filled or not.
†† Indicates Pearson’s chi-squared test was significant (p<0.001) compared with their male counterpart in the same age group who had an opioid prescription filled or not.