Table 4.
Purchase of Opioids
| Dose in mg OMEQ Per Day | |||||
| Up to 1 Month | Up to 3 Months | Up to 6 Months | Up to 1 Year | ||
| Total cohort N=1,683,713 | Mg OMEQ intervals | 50–80,640 | 50–142,590 | 50–283,711 | 50–402,000 |
| Mean | 552.37 | 817.03 | 1114.26 | 1583.30 | |
| Median | 210.04 | 300.00 | 300.00 | 300.00 | |
| 1st quartile | 50<200 | 50<200 | 50<200 | 50<200 | |
| 2nd quartile | 200<211 | 200<300 | 200<300 | 200<300 | |
| 3rd quartile | 211<700 | 300<1000 | 300<1000.02 | 300<1000.02 | |
| 4th quartile | 700–80,640 | 1000–142,590 | 1000.02–283,710.38 | 1000.02–402,000 | |
| Highest daily dose | 80,640:30 days = 2688 | 142,590:91 days = 1567 | 283,710:182 days = 1559 | 402,000:365 days = 1101 | |
| Total cohort N=1,683,713 | Mg OMEQ | 50–80,640 | 50–142,590 | 50–283,711 | 50–402,000 |
| Mean | 552.37 | 817.03 | 1114.26 | 1583.30 | |
| Median | 210.04 | 300.00 | 300.00 | 300.00 | |
| 1st quartile | 50<200 | 50<200 | 50<200 | 50<200 | |
| 2nd quartile | 200<211 | 200<300 | 200<300 | 200<300 | |
| 3rd quartile | 211<700 | 300<1000 | 300<1000.02 | 300<1000.02 | |
| 4th quartile | 700–80,640 | 1000–142,590 | 1000.02–283,710.38 | 1000.02–402,000 | |
| Female n=938,643 (55.7%) | Up to 1 month | Up to 3 months | Up to 6 months | Up to 1 year | |
| Mean, OMEQ | 540.64 | 817.55 | 1138.42 | 1655.15 | |
| Median, OMEQ | 200.00 | 266.68 | 299.98 | 299.98 | |
| Male n=745,070 (44.3%) | Up to 1 month | Up to 3 months | Up to 6 months | Up to 1 year | |
| Mean, OMEQ | 567.14 | 816.36 | 1083.83 | 1492.77 | |
| Median, OMEQ | 250.00 | 333.33 | 333.33 | 333.33 | |
| OMEQ: oral morphine equivalents - 1 mg morphine equivalent to 1 mg OMEQ | |||||
| Prescriptions | |||||
| First Month | Number of Prescriptions | Total, N = 1,683,713 (%) | Male, n=745,070 | Female, n=938,643 | No. of Prescriptions Per Day |
| 1 | 1,220,931 (72.5) | 533,277 | 687,654 | 0.33–2.26 | |
| 2–3 | 399,360 (23.7) | 181,741 | 217,619 | ||
| 4–9 | 62,682 (3.7) | 29,701 | 32,981 | ||
| 10–38 | 740 (0.0) | 351 | 389 | ||
| Three months | 1 | 1,083,142 (64.3) | 479,584 | 603,558 | 0.33–1.31 |
| 2–3 | 410,154 (24.4) | 183,931 | 226,222 | ||
| 4–9 | 177,612 (10.5) | 75,695 | 101,917 | ||
| 10–118 | 12,805 (0.8) | 5859 | 6946 | ||
| Six months | 1 | 1,083,142 (64.3) | 479,584 | 603,558 | 0.33–1.11 |
| 2–3 | 338,547 (20.1) | 157,812 | 180,735 | ||
| 4–9 | 213,683 (12.7) | 87,559 | 126,124 | ||
| 10–202 | 48,341 (2.9) | 20,115 | 28,226 | ||
| One year | 1 | 1,083,142 (64.3) | 479,584 | 603,558 | 0.33–0.85 |
| 2–3 | 333,600 (19.8) | 156,024 | 177,576 | ||
| 4–9 | 156,787 (9.3) | 67,605 | 89,182 | ||
| 10–311 | 110,184 (6.5) | 41,857 | 68,327 | ||