Table 3.
Opioid prescribing history in the year prior to a treated heroin overdose, by patient age at the time of overdose (N = 3183).
| Characteristic | Age 18 to 25 N = 1694 N (%) | Age 26 to 45 N = 764 N (%) | Age 46 and over N = 725 N (%) | Overall N = 3183 N (%) | P-value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Any opioid prescribed in prior: | |||||
| 7 days | 55 (3.2) | 88 (11.5) | 203 (28.0) | 346 (10.9) | < 0.001 |
| 30 days | 100 (5.9) | 146 (19.1) | 243 (33.5) | 489 (15.4) | < 0.001 |
| 90 days | 195 (11.5) | 200 (26.2) | 308 (42.5) | 703 (22.1) | < 0.001 |
| 180 days | 320 (18.9) | 278 (36.4) | 366 (50.5) | 964 (30.3) | < 0.001 |
| 365 days | 519 (30.6) | 380 (49.7) | 446 (61.5) | 1345 (42.3) | < 0.001 |
| Peak daily dosage in prior 365 daysa | < 0.001 | ||||
| 1 to < 20 MME | 26 (5.0) | 16 (4.2) | 19 (4.3) | 62 (4.6) | |
| 20 to < 50 MME | 230 (44.3) | 122 (32.1) | 114 (25.6) | 483 (35.9) | |
| 50 to < 90 MME | 124 (23.9) | 80 (21.1) | 79 (17.7) | 295 (21.9) | |
| 90 + MME | 118 (22.7) | 145 (38.2) | 226 (50.7) | 505 (37.5) | |
| Number of prescriptions filled within prior 365 days | |||||
| Overall mean (SD)b | 0.75 (1.27) | 1.45 (1.93) | 1.67 (1.92) | 1.13 (1.66) | < 0.001 |
| Overall median (IQR)b | 0 (0–1) | 1 (0–2) | 1 (0–3) | 1 (0–2) | < 0.001 |
| Among those prescribed mean (SD)a | 1.77 (1.42) | 2.50 (1.94) | 2.59 (1.83) | 2.20 (1.74) | < 0.001 |
| Among those prescribed median (IQR)a | 1 (1–2) | 2 (1–3) | 2 (1–3) | 2 (1–3) | < 0.001 |
| Average daily dosage in the week of overdosec | 0.011 | ||||
| 1 to < 20 MME | 22 (40.0) | 21 (23.9) | 36 (17.7) | 79 (22.8) | |
| 20 to < 50 MME | 16 (29.1) | 25 (28.4) | 59 (29.1) | 100 (28.9) | |
| 50 to < 90 MME | 5 (9.1) | 18 (20.5) | 34 (16.8) | 57 (16.5) | |
| 90+ MME | 11 (20.0) | 24 (27.3) | 75 (37.0) | 110 (31.8) | |
| LTOT in the past 365 days | 60 (3.5) | 110 (14.4) | 236 (32.6) | 406 (12.8) | < 0.001 |
| Active LTOT at time of overdose (episode overlapped with the last week)b | 18 (1.1) | 46 (6.0) | 129 (17.8) | 193 (6.1) | < 0.001 |
| LTOT discontinued within 90 days prior to overdoseb | 4 (0.24) | 26 (3.4) | 37 (5.1) | 67 (2.1) | < 0.001 |
| LTOT discontinued within 365 days prior to overdoseb | 42 (2.5) | 64 (8.4) | 107 (14.8) | 213 (6.7) | < 0.001 |
| Length of LTOT episode during the year, days, mean (SD)d | 107.2 (105.0) | 185.8 (119.7) | 230.1 (119.0) | 199.9 (124.7) | < 0.001 |
| Length of LTOT episode during the year, days, median (IQR)d | 84.5 (16.0–139.8) | 199.0 (90.0–281.3) | 247.0 (134.0–348.0) | 214.0 (90.0–331.5) | < 0.001 |
a
Among those with a prescription opioid claim in 365 days prior to overdose.
b
Among all individuals in age group.
c
Among those with a prescription opioid claim in 7 days prior to overdose.
d
Among those receiving LTOT in 365 days prior to overdose.