Association of State-Level Opioid-Reduction Policies With Pediatric Opioid Poisoning

Background: In response to adverse outcomes from prescription opioids, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released the Guideline for Prescribing Opioids for Chronic Pain in March 2016. Objective: To test the hypothesis that the CDC guideline release corresponded to declines in specific opioid prescribing practices. Design: Interrupted time series analysis of monthly prescribing measures from the IQVIA transactional data warehouse and Real-World Data Longitudinal Prescriptions population-level estimates based on retail pharmacy data. Population size was determined by U.S. Census monthly estimates. Setting: United States, 2012 to 2017. Patients: Persons prescribed opioid analgesics. Measurements: Outcomes included opioid dosage, days supplied, overlapping benzodiazepine prescriptions, and the overall rate of prescribing. Results: The rate of high-dosage prescriptions (≥90 morphine equivalent milligrams per day) was 683 per 100 000 persons in January 2012 and declined by 3.56 (95% CI, −3.79 to −3.32) per month before March 2016 and by 8.00 (CI, −8.69 to −7.31) afterward. Likewise, the percentage of patients with overlapping opioid and benzodiazepine prescriptions was 21.04% in January 2012 and declined by 0.02% (CI, −0.04% to −0.01%) per month before the CDC guideline release and by 0.08% (CI, −0.08% to −0.07%) per month afterward. The overall opioid prescribing rate was 6577 per 100 000 persons in January 2012 and declined by 23.48 (CI, −26.18 to −20.78) each month before the guideline release and by 56.74 (CI, −65.96 to −47.53) per month afterward. Limitation: No control population; inability to determine the appropriateness of opioid prescribing. Conclusion: Several opioid prescribing practices were decreasing before the CDC guideline, but the time of its release was associated with a greater decline. Guidelines may be effective in changing prescribing practices. Primary Funding Source: CDC.

This is the 34th Annual Report of the American Association of Poison Control Centers' (AAPCC) National Poison Data System (NPDS). As of 1 January 2016, 55 of the nation's poison centers (PCs) uploaded case data automatically to NPDS. The upload interval was 9.50 [7.33, 14.6] (median [25%, 75%]) min, facilitating a near real-time national exposure and information database and surveillance system.

To address the opioid overdose epidemic in the United States, states have implemented policies to reduce inappropriate opioid prescribing. These policies could affect the coincident heroin overdose epidemic by either driving the substitution of heroin for opioids or reducing simultaneous use of both substances. We used IMS Health's National Prescription Audit and government mortality data to examine the effect of these policies on opioid prescribing and on prescription opioid and heroin overdose death rates in the United States during 2006-13. The analysis revealed that combined implementation of mandated provider review of state-run prescription drug monitoring program data and pain clinic laws reduced opioid amounts prescribed by 8 percent and prescription opioid overdose death rates by 12 percent. We also observed relatively large but statistically insignificant reductions in heroin overdose death rates after implementation of these policies. This combination of policies was effective, but broader approaches to address these coincident epidemics are needed.