Opioid and benzodiazepine misuse in the United States: The impact of socio-demographic characteristics.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: In 2021, drug overdose deaths in the United States reached a new record of 107,622. Misuse of opioids and benzodiazepines accounts for a large portion of drug overdose deaths. However, the effects of socio-demographic characteristics on misuse of opioids and benzodiazepines are not evident. Thus, this study examines the socio-demographic characteristics associated with misuse of opioids and benzodiazepines among adults in the United States. METHODS: Data from 2015-2019 National Survey on Drug Use and Health was utilized in the multinomial logistic regression analysis and included 202,935 adults ages ≥18 years. RESULTS: During 2015-2019, 3.3% of the adults misused opioids, 1.2% misused benzodiazepines, and 0.9% misused both drugs in the preceding year of the survey. Those who were younger, bisexual, non-Hispanic White, had a history of delinquency in the past year, had alcohol dependence/abuse, marijuana dependence/abuse, nicotine dependence and use, and experienced major depressive episodes were more likely to misuse opioids, benzodiazepines, or both. CONCLUSION AND SCIENTIFIC SIGNIFICANCE: A large portion of US adults are misusing opioids, benzodiazepines, and both drugs. Specifically, bisexual individuals experience higher odds of opioid misuse, benzodiazepine misuse and misuse of both drugs compared with heterosexuals, while males are experiencing lower odds of benzodiazepine misuse compared with females. Individuals aged 26-49 experience the highest odds of opioid misuse, though misuse of both drugs was higher among the 18-25 age group. Findings underscore the use of targeted preventive measures to reduce misuse of these drugs among at-risk populations identified in this study.

Association between state-level medical marijuana legalization and marijuana use during pregnancy: A population-based study.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Despite marijuana's association with adverse pregnancy and birth outcomes, its use during pregnancy increased over the last two decades. During this period, medical marijuana has been legalized in 38 states and the District of Columbia. States with legalized medical marijuana have observed increased marketing of marijuana and related products. This study aims to examine the association between state-level medical marijuana legalization and marijuana use during pregnancy in the United States. METHODS: Using the 2015-2021 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, we evaluated the association between marijuana use in the past month among currently pregnant mothers (N = 4338) and legalized medical marijuana in their state of residence. Survey-weighted descriptive, bivariate, and multivariable logistic regression analyzes were performed. RESULTS: About 5.7% of pregnant women reported using marijuana in the past month, and 59.0% lived in a state where medical marijuana was legalized across 2015-2021. Compared to those living in states without marijuana legalization, more pregnant women living in states with marijuana legalization reported using marijuana (4.6% vs. 6.5%). In the multivariable model, pregnant women residing in states with medical marijuana legalization were more likely to use marijuana than residents of states without legalization (adjusted Odds Ratio: 1.56; 95% Confidence Interval: 1.11-2.18). CONCLUSION AND SCIENTIFIC SIGNIFICANCE: This is the first known study to find that pregnant women living in states where medical marijuana is legalized are more likely to use marijuana during pregnancy. Pregnant women should be informed of adverse pregnancy and birth outcomes linked to marijuana use during pregnancy.

Georgia community pharmacies and clinics: An evaluation of health outcomes and care access.

BACKGROUND: Care access remains a major social determinant of health. Safety net clinics may not be numerically sufficient to meet the health care demand for vulnerable populations. Community pharmacists remain a trusted health care provider and serve as first-line care access points. To date, Georgia care access points by safety net clinics and community pharmacies have not been compared. OBJECTIVES: This study sought to evaluate care access across Georgia. County health outcomes and health factor rankings were compared with mortality prevalence of respiratory disease, diabetes mellitus, kidney disease, and a composite of ambulatory care sensitive conditions emergency department (ER) utilization and hospital discharge. In addition, this study sought to determine whether care access points improve if community pharmacies were to provide primary care services. DESIGN AND OUTCOME MEASURES: Geographic information systems mapping was used to locate safety net clinics and community pharmacies. Care access difference was analyzed using a 2-sample t test and health outcomes and rankings were evaluated using ordinary least square regression analysis. RESULTS: A significant difference in care access points was found between safety net clinics and community pharmacies across the state of Georgia (P < 0.05). Mortality prevalence for respiratory disease (P < 0.01), diabetes mellitus (P < 0.1), kidney disease (P < 0.05), ER utilization (P < 0.01), and hospital discharge (P < 0.01) was lower in counties in the top 50% than the bottom 50% health outcome ranking and health factor ranking. Approximately 95% of counties (n = 151) would experience more than a 50% increase in primary care access points by way of community pharmacies. CONCLUSION: Community pharmacies are well positioned to address primary care disease states, reduce health care resource strain, and decrease preventable health care resource utilization. Leveraging pharmacists to provide primary care services can address care access issues and may improve care quality and reduce preventable hospitalizations and ER utilization in Georgia.

Impact of Medicaid expansion on mental health and substance use related emergency department visits.

Background: Although Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act reduces uninsurance, little evidence exists on its impact on mental health and substance use (MHSU) related healthcare utilization. Therefore, the objectives of this study are to examine the impact of Medicaid expansion on emergency department visits related to mental health and substance use disorders and to examine its effect on the variation in payer mix. Methods: The study utilizes state-level quarterly emergency department (ED) visit data from Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project's Fast Stats Database, along with state socio-demographic and health policy data for the analysis. A difference-in-differences regression analysis approach was utilized in comparing MHSU-related ED visit data between expansion and non-expansion states from 2006 to 2019 for all visits and by payer mix. Results: Medicaid expansion was associated with additional 0.35 non-Medicare adult MHSU-related ED visits per 1,000 population (p < 0.05) in expansion states compared with non-expansion states. In addition, Medicaid expansion was associated with about 20.4% increase (p < 0.01) in Medicaid-share of MHSU-related ED visits, about 17.4% reduction (p < 0.01) in uninsured-share of MHSU-related ED visits, and about 3% reduction (p < 0.05) in privately-insured share of MHSU-related ED visits in expansion states compared with non-expansion states. Conclusions: The findings indicate that Medicaid expansion was associated with increased MHSU-related ED visits among the Medicaid population and the overall non-Medicare adult population, while it was associated with reductions in MHSU-related ED visits among the uninsured and privately-insured populations in expansion states compared with non-expansion states.

The Association Between School Tobacco Control Policies and Youth Smoking Behavior.

BACKGROUND: While U.S. tobacco control policy has focused mainly on tobacco excise taxes, product advertising bans, and state tobacco control policies such as indoor/outdoor smoking bans, little attention has been paid to school tobacco control policies and their impact on youth smoking behavior. Thus, the objective of this study is to examine the impact of school tobacco control policies on smoking behavior among teenagers and young adults in the USA. METHODS: Using logistic regression approach, this study examines the effect of school tobacco control policies on individuals ever trying smoking and ever being a regular smoker using data from waves I, II, and III of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health. RESULTS: Findings indicate that school tobacco control policies targeting both students and employees of the school are associated with a reduced odds of smoking initiation among youth, but do not have much effect on youth becoming regular smokers. CONCLUSIONS: If implemented properly, school tobacco control policies could play a vital role in preventing youth smoking and help reduce youth smoking rates in the country, addressing a key public health issue.

Loneliness as a public health issue: the impact of loneliness on health care utilization among older adults.

OBJECTIVES: We aimed to determine whether loneliness is associated with higher health care utilization among older adults in the United States. METHODS: We used panel data from the Health and Retirement Study (2008 and 2012) to examine the long-term impact of loneliness on health care use. The sample was limited to community-dwelling persons in the United States aged 60 years and older. We used negative binomial regression models to determine the impact of loneliness on physician visits and hospitalizations. RESULTS: Under 2 definitions of loneliness, we found that a sizable proportion of those aged 60 years and older in the United States reported loneliness. Regression results showed that chronic loneliness (those lonely both in 2008 and 4 years later) was significantly and positively associated with physician visits (ß = 0.075, SE = 0.034). Loneliness was not significantly associated with hospitalizations. CONCLUSIONS: Loneliness is a significant public health concern among elders. In addition to easing a potential source of suffering, the identification and targeting of interventions for lonely elders may significantly decrease physician visits and health care costs.

Is there a business case for magnet hospitals? Estimates of the cost and revenue implications of becoming a magnet.

BACKGROUND: Although Magnet hospitals (MHs) are known for their better nursing care environments, little is known about whether MHs achieve this at a higher (lower) cost of health care or whether a superior nursing environment yields higher net patient revenue versus non-MHs over an extended period of time. OBJECTIVE: To examine how achieving Magnet status is related to subsequent inpatient costs and revenues controlling for other hospital characteristics. DATA AND METHODS: Data from the American Hospital Association Annual Survey, Hospital Cost Reporting Information System reports collected by Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, and Magnet status of hospitals from American Nurses Credentialing Center from 1998 to 2006 were combined and used for the analysis. Descriptive statistics, propensity score matching, fixed-effect, and instrumental variable methods were used to analyze the data. RESULTS: Regression analyses revealed that MH status is positively and significantly associated with both inpatient costs and net inpatient revenues for both urban hospitals and all hospitals. MH status was associated with an increase of 2.46% in the inpatient costs and 3.89% in net inpatient revenue for all hospitals, and 2.1% and 3.2% for urban hospitals. CONCLUSIONS: Although it is costly for hospitals to attain Magnet status, the cost of becoming a MH may be offset by higher net inpatient income. On average, MHs receive an adjusted net increase in inpatient income of $104.22-$127.05 per discharge after becoming a Magnet which translates to an additional $1,229,770-$1,263,926 in income per year.

Are suicides underreported? The impact of coroners versus medical examiners on suicide reporting.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate if state death investigation systems affect the reporting of suicides, particularly when comparing medical examiners to coroners. DATA SOURCES AND STUDY SETTING: We used restricted-access state mortality data from National Vital Statistics System between the years 1959 to 2016. These data were matched with state-level changes in death investigation systems reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention database on the Public Health Law Program: Coroner/ME Laws. STUDY DESIGN: We used difference-in-differences and event study methods for the analysis. We estimated the relative per capita changes in suicides, accidental deaths, and homicides when comparing coroner-only states with other death investigation types. Sub-analyses estimated differences by sex, race, and if coroners were required to receive training. DATA COLLECTION/EXTRACTION METHODS: Not Applicable. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Coroners-only states underreported suicides by 17.4% (p < 0.05) and performed 20.4% (p < 0.05) fewer autopsies compared to states with county coroners and a state medical examiner. This pattern is consistent by sex and race. Required coroner training did not affect death determination significantly. CONCLUSION: Coroners-only states underreported suicides compared to states with county coroners and a state medical examiner. The disparity in the use of autopsies is a potential mechanism for underreporting of suicides by coroners. If all coroners-only states adopted a state medical examiner, suicide reporting would increase by 2243-3100 deaths in the United States annually.

The impact of Medicaid expansion on mental health and substance use related inpatient visits.

OBJECTIVE: Under the Affordable Care Act, many states expanded their Medicaid eligibility, allowing individuals living at or below 138% of the Federal Poverty Level to receive insurance coverage. As a result, forty states and the District of Columbia have expanded Medicaid to date. Although Medicaid expansion is expected to increase access to care in general, it is not evident if it has helped increase access to mental health and substance use-related healthcare, especially in inpatient settings. Therefore, this study examines the impact of Medicaid expansion on mental health and substance use- (MHSU) related inpatient visits and the variation in payer mix. METHODS: This study utilizes state-level quarterly inpatient visit data from the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project's Fast Stats Database from 2005 to 2019 and performs difference-in-differences regression analyses to compare MHSU-related inpatient visit data in expansion and non-expansion states for all visits and by payer. Analyses controlled for state-level socio-demographic and health policy variables. RESULTS: Findings indicate that Medicaid expansion did not significantly affect overall MHSU-related inpatient visits. However, Medicaid expansion was associated with 22.74% increase (P < 0.01; 95% CI: 17.76, 27.71) in the Medicaid share of MHSU-related inpatient visits, 18.31% reduction (P < 0.01; 95% CI: -22.54, -14.09) in the uninsured share of MHSU-related inpatient visits, and 4.42% reduction (P < 0.05; 95% CI: -7.83, -1.01) in the privately insured share of MHSU-related inpatient visits in expansion states compared with non-expansion states. CONCLUSIONS: Findings show that Medicaid expansion significantly affects the payer mix associated with MHSU-related inpatient visits while it has no significant impact on the overall MHSU-related inpatient visits.

Adoption of national quality forum safe practices by Magnet® hospitals.

BACKGROUND: Magnet® hospitals (MHs) are known for their high retention rates of nurses and positive work environment, yet little is known about whether MHs also have higher levels of safe practice adoption rates compared with non-Magnet hospitals (NMHs). METHODS: In this study, we investigate adoption of National Quality Forum (NQF) Safe Practices in 34 regions during 2004 to 2006 that were part of the Leapfrog Group initiative to improve quality of hospital care. We conducted a secondary data analysis by combining multiple data sets from the American Hospital Association Annual Survey,Healthcare Cost Reports Information System, and Leapfrog Group Annual Hospital Survey. A composite safe practice score (CSPS) was constructed from the Leapfrog annual survey and ranged from 0 (no adoption) to 1,000 (complete adoption) of the 30 NQF Safe Practices. A descriptive analysis and a regression with Heckman correction to control for selection bias were used to determine the effect of Magnet status and other hospital and market characteristics on differences in CSPS over the 3-year period. RESULTS: There were 140 MHs and 1,320 NMHs reporting data for the CSPS. In 2004, MHs had a mean CSPS of 865 versus 774 for NMHs (P < .001). By 2006, NMHs improved their CSPS from 774 to 872 (98 points), whereas MHs improved their CSPS from 865 to 925 (60 points, P < .001). Regression analysis showed a positive and significant effect of Magnet status of hospitals on the adoption rates of NQF Safe Practices as measured by the CSPS. Our results also indicated that smaller hospitals (in bed size), hospitals with larger share of Medicare patients, higher nurse intensity levels (mean hours of nursing care per day), and higher levels of competition among hospitals in Leapfrog rollout regions were associated with higher CSPS. CONCLUSION: Magnet hospitals in the urban areas of 34 Leapfrog rollout regions were more likely to have higher adoption rates of NQF Safe Practices in comparison to NMHs in the same demographic areas during the time frame of the study, but other hospitals nearly closed the gap by 2006.

Money Matters: Cost Effectiveness of Juvenile Drug Court with and without Evidence-Based Treatments.

The 12-month cost effectiveness of juvenile drug court and evidence-based treatments within Court were compared with traditional Family Court for 128 substance abusing/dependent juvenile offenders participating in a four-condition randomized trial. Intervention conditions included Family Court with community services (FC), Drug Court with community services (DC), Drug Court with Multisystemic Therapy (DC/MST), and Drug Court with MST enhanced with a contingency management program (DC/MST/CM). Average cost effectiveness ratios for substance use and criminal behavior outcomes revealed that economic efficiency in achieving outcomes generally improved from FC to DC, with the addition of evidence-based treatments improving efficiency in obtaining substance use outcomes.

The effect of pill mill legislation on suicides.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the effect of pill mill legislation on suicides and drug-related suicides in the United States. DATA SOURCES: We use state-level restricted use mortality data from the National Vital Statistics System for the period 2000-2016, along with state level sociodemographic data from the US Census Bureau and Bureau of Labor Statistics and opioid-related state health policy data from publicly available sources for the analysis. STUDY DESIGN: The analyses use a difference-in-differences regression approach. DATA COLLECTION/EXTRACTION METHODS: Publicly available secondary data were collected and merged with restricted use mortality data files from the National Vital Statistics System for the analysis. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Our results show that pill mill legislation is associated with an 8.5% (p < 0.01) reduction in the drug related suicide rate, a 4.9% (p < 0.05) reduction in suicides among females, and a 4.7% (p < 0.05) reduction in suicides among individuals between age 45 and 64 years. CONCLUSIONS: The findings indicate that pill mill legislation has been effective in reducing total suicides among females in the age group 45-64, and drug-related suicides in the population resulting in 658 fewer drug-related suicides for a given year if pill mill laws are adopted by every state.

Access to methadone clinics and opioid overdose deaths in Georgia: A geospatial analysis.

BACKGROUND: As a result of the opioid epidemic, the demand for treatment options for opioid use disorder (OUD) such as methadone has increased. Methadone can only be administered in methadone clinics. Though numerous methadone clinics are located across the state of Georgia, access to methadone treatment may still be a concern for certain areas of the state. In this study, we examine the relationship between access to methadone clinics and opioid overdose death rates at the county level and compare access to treatment through Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) if methadone provision was to expand in Georgia. METHODS: We utilize location data for methadone clinics and FQHCs, and opioid overdose death rates at the county level from 2019 for the study analysis. The analysis was carried out using a geographical information system (GIS) mapping and a descriptive analysis. RESULTS: The results show that there is no methadone clinic accessible to individuals within a 15-minute drive time for 4 out of the 5 counties with the highest opioid overdose death rates in Georgia, though FQHCs are accessible within a 15-minute drive time to more than 67% of the population in each of these counties. Additionally, 7 out of the 9 counties with the highest opioid overdose death rates have no methadone clinic accessible within a 15-minute drive time, though all those counties have easier access to FQHCs. CONCLUSION: If methadone distribution was to expand to FQHCs, more counties and a larger area of Georgia would have greater access to methadone treatment.

Adoption of national quality forum safe practices by Magnet® hospitals.

BACKGROUND: : Magnet hospitals (MHs) are known for their high retention rates of nurses and positive work environment, yet little is known about whether MHs also have higher levels of safe practice adoption rates compared with non-Magnet hospitals (NMHs). METHODS: : In this study, we investigate adoption of National Quality Forum (NQF) Safe Practices in 34 regions during 2004 to 2006 that were part of the Leapfrog Group initiative to improve quality of hospital care. We conducted a secondary data analysis by combining multiple data sets from the American Hospital Association Annual Survey, Healthcare Cost Reports Information System, and Leapfrog Group Annual Hospital Survey. A composite safe practice score (CSPS) was constructed from the Leapfrog annual survey and ranged from 0 (no adoption) to 1,000 (complete adoption) of the 30 NQF Safe Practices. A descriptive analysis and a regression with Heckman correction to control for selection bias were used to determine the effect of Magnet status and other hospital and market characteristics on differences in CSPS over the 3-year period. RESULTS: : There were 140 MHs and 1,320 NMHs reporting data for the CSPS. In 2004, MHs had a mean CSPS of 865 versus 774 for NMHs (P < .001). By 2006, NMHs improved their CSPS from 774 to 872 (98 points), whereas MHs improved their CSPS from 865 to 925 (60 points, P < .001). Regression analysis showed a positive and significant effect of Magnet status of hospitals on the adoption rates of NQF Safe Practices as measured by the CSPS. Our results also indicated that smaller hospitals (in bed size), hospitals with larger share of Medicare patients, higher nurse intensity levels (mean hours of nursing care per day), and higher levels of competition among hospitals in Leapfrog rollout regions were associated with higher CSPS. CONCLUSION: : Magnet hospitals in the urban areas of 34 Leapfrog rollout regions were more likely to have higher adoption rates of NQF Safe Practices in comparison to NMHs in the same demographic areas during the time frame of the study, but other hospitals nearly closed the gap by 2006.

The associations of medical marijuana policies with opioid-related health care utilization.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the associations between medical marijuana policies and opioid-related hospitalizations and emergency department visits. DATA SOURCES: We utilized quarterly rates of hospital discharge data from the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project's (HCUP) Fast Stats Database from 2005 to 2016 along with state-level sociodemographic data from US Census Bureau and Bureau of Labor Statistics and opioid-related state health policy data from publicly available sources for the analysis. STUDY DESIGN: Analyses were carried out using a difference-in-differences regression approach. We estimate heterogeneous effects of medical marijuana policies such as initial policy, presence of active dispensary, and home cultivation on opioid-related hospitalizations and emergency department visits related to opioids. DATA COLLECTION/EXTRACTION METHODS: Publicly available secondary data were collected, linked, and analyzed. Observations with missing values for explanatory variables were excluded from the analysis. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Regression results indicate that type of medical marijuana policy has varying effects on opioid-related hospitalizations and emergency department visits. States that allow home cultivation of medical marijuana experienced significant positive associations with opioid-related hospitalizations and emergency department visits, while no effect was observed with medical marijuana dispensaries. Moreover, recreational marijuana policies were positively associated with opioid-related hospitalizations. CONCLUSIONS: The findings indicate that the effects of medical marijuana policies on opioid-related hospitalizations and emergency department visits vary depending on the type of medical marijuana policy. Our findings indicate that the implementation of home cultivation of marijuana is positively associated with hospitalizations and emergency department visits related to opioids, suggesting that easier access to marijuana among opioid users may result in adverse health conditions that need treatment.

Impact of drug utilization management policy on prescription opioid use in Georgia Medicaid.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the effectiveness of changes in opioid prescription policies on opioid prescribing and health services utilization rates in Georgia Medicaid. METHODS: This study used data from the Georgia Medicaid patient enrollment, medical and pharmacy claims database from 2009 to 2014.We performed an interrupted time series analysis to examine the effect of the policy changes. Outcome measures assessed the trends in the indicators of potential inappropriate prescribing practices, including overlapping prescriptions of opioid + opioid, opioid + benzodiazepine and opioids + buprenorphine/naloxone, as well as health services utilization, including hospitalization, mean length of stay, outpatient office and emergency room visits. KEY FINDINGS: A total of 712 342 opioid users aged 18-64 were included in the study. The policies were associated with significant decreasing trend of opioid + opioid (-0.0011; 95% CI = -0.0020, -0.0002) and opioid + benzodiazepines (-0.001; 95% CI = -0.0022, -0.0006) overlapping while associated with a significant immediate decrease in and opioids + buprenorphine/naloxone after the implementations (-0.0014; 95% CI = -0.0025, -0.0003). Significant immediate decrease in level of office visits and ER visits were seen with the policy implementation (office visit: -0.2939; 95% CI = -0.5528, -0.0350, ER visit: -0.0740, 95% CI = -0.1294, -0.0185). The policies were not shown to be significantly associated with hospitalization and the mean length of inpatient stay. CONCLUSIONS: Our analysis suggests that Georgia Medicaid opioid policies were useful to contain inappropriate opioid use.

Deaths among opioid users: impact of potential inappropriate prescribing practices.

OBJECTIVES: To examine the association between potential inappropriate prescribing practices of opioids and deaths among opioid users in the Georgia Medicaid population. STUDY DESIGN: A retrospective analysis of individual pharmacy claims data from Georgia Medicaid from 2009 through 2014. METHODS: The sample was restricted to patients without cancer aged 18 to 64 years with an opioid prescription and included 3,562,227 observations representing 401,488 individuals. A descriptive analysis and a multivariate logistic regression analysis were conducted. RESULTS: Results indicate a total of 14,516 deaths among opioid users in the study sample, of whom approximately 42% experienced at least 1 incidence of potential inappropriate prescribing practices. Regression results indicate that the odds of opioid users experiencing death were 1.76 times higher for those who experienced at least 1 incidence of potential inappropriate prescribing practices of opioids compared with those who did not experience any incidence, even after controlling for other covariates (P <.001). Moreover, opioid users in managed care Medicaid were less likely to experience death compared with fee-for-service (FFS) enrollees. CONCLUSIONS: The results indicate a positive and statistically significant association between potential inappropriate opioid prescribing practices and deaths among opioid users in Georgia Medicaid, with FFS enrollees experiencing higher rates of death compared with managed care enrollees. Appropriate policies and interventions targeted at reducing potential inappropriate prescribing practices may help reduce the risk factors associated with mortality among opioid users in this population.

Opioid Analgesics in Georgia Medicaid: Trends in Potential Inappropriate Prescribing Practices by Demographic Characteristics, 2009-2014.

BACKGROUND: There has been a dramatic rise in the number of opioid prescriptions and opioid overdose deaths in the United States over the past 15 years. Misuse and abuse of opioids is also a growing public health concern in the United States. Medicaid enrollees are more likely to be prescribed opioids and are at higher risk of prescription drug overdose compared with non-Medicaid populations. Despite rising opioid drug overdose deaths in Georgia, prevalence of indicators for potential inappropriate prescribing practices has not been examined to date. OBJECTIVE: To examine trends in the general use of opioids and the prevalence of indicators for potential inappropriate opioid prescribing among the Georgia Medicaid population across various demographic characteristics over time. METHODS: This study used data from the Georgia individual Medicaid pharmacy claims database from 2009 to 2014. Data sample included 3,562,227 observations (patient prescriptions) representing 401,488 individuals. Outcome measures assessed the trends in the general use of opioids and the indicators of potential inappropriate prescribing practices by providers. These outcome measures were taken from previous expert panels and clinical guidelines (e.g., overlapping prescriptions of opioids, opioids and benzodiazepines, and opioids and buprenorphine/naloxone, as well as high daily doses of opioids). Analyses were stratified by gender, type of insurance (fee-for-service and managed care), age, and race/ethnicity. RESULTS: The average number of opioid prescriptions, average days supply of opioids per patient, and average daily dose of opioids per patient increased over time across all demographic categories with older, fee-for-service, male, and missing race groups experiencing higher use across all 6 years compared with their counterparts. A similar pattern was observed for average number of incidences of potential inappropriate prescribing of opioids in this population from 2009 to 2014. The percentage of Medicaid enrollees with at least 1 or more indicators of potential inappropriate prescriptions slightly increased from 17.17% to 18.21% during the study time frame. Moreover, the incidence rate of indicators for potential inappropriate prescribing of opioids also increased over time across all demographic groups, with the oldest age group (55-64 years) experiencing the largest increment. The incidence rate of potential inappropriate prescribing practices per patient increased more than 58% over the 6 years. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study show that potentially inappropriate prescribing practices are common and are increasing over time in the Georgia Medicaid population across all demographic categories, with individuals who are listed in the missing race category, have fee-for-service plans, and are older experiencing the largest increments. These findings indicate that patients in certain demographic groups could be at higher risk for experiencing adverse health outcomes related to inappropriate prescribing of opioids. Further research is needed to explore which policy tools or interventions might be more effective in reducing inappropriate prescribing practices in this population. DISCLOSURES: This research was supported by the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health under Award Number R01DA039930 and the Georgia Department of Community Health, contract number 2015012. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health or the Georgia Department of Community Health. The authors have nothing to disclose. A previous version of this paper was presented at the following conferences: International Health Economics Association 12th World Congress; July 8-11, 2017; Boston, MA, and Addiction Health Services Research Conference; October 18-20, 2017; Madison, WI.

Pain as a Risk Factor for Loneliness Among Older Adults.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this is to examine whether pain is associated with the onset of loneliness in a sample of community-dwelling older adults. METHODS: We used data from the 2008 and 2012 Health and Retirement Study. We limited the sample to community-dwelling persons aged 60 years and over who were not lonely in 2008 in order to predict the risk of onset of loneliness (incidence) in 2012. Our analytic sample included 1,563 observations. RESULTS: Approximately 31.7% of participants reported loneliness at follow-up (2012). Logistic regression models showed that the odds of loneliness onset was 1.58 higher for those with pain at both time points, compared with those who had pain at neither time point, even after controlling for other covariates. DISCUSSION: The results indicate that pain may increase the risk of loneliness in older adults. This suggests that appropriate pain interventions could prevent future loneliness, which in turn could prevent functional decline, disability, and premature mortality.

Opioids in Georgia Medicaid: Gender and Insurance Disparities in Utilization and Potential Inappropriate Prescribing Practices.

OBJECTIVES: Medicaid populations have been disproportionately affected by the opioid epidemic. In Georgia, opioid deaths have increased at more than twice the rate of the nation at large. It is unknown if certain populations within the Medicaid unduly receive opioid prescriptions or experience inappropriate prescribing of opioids. Thus, this study examines gender and insurance disparities in the use of opioids and the prevalence of indicators for potential inappropriate prescribing of opioids in the Georgia Medicaid population. METHODS: Using individual Georgia Medicaid pharmacy claims data from 2012, disparities across gender (male/female) and type of insurance (fee-for-service (FFS)/managed care (MC)) were examined for the general use of opioids and potential inappropriate prescribing practices by providers. These outcome measures were taken from previous clinical guidelines and expert panels. T-tests were conducted to estimate significance in disparities across gender and type of insurance. KEY FINDINGS: Average number of opioid prescriptions received and average days of supply of opioids were higher among males than females (p<0.001), and among FFS patients than MC patients (p<0.001). Similarly, average incidences of potential inappropriate prescribing of opioids were higher among males (1.41) than females (0.83) (p<0.001), and among FFS patients (1.60) than MC patients (0.46) (p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Results indicate statistically significant disparities among male/female patients and FFS/MC patients in the general use of opioids and in potential inappropriate prescribing of opioids. Policies aimed at curbing potential inappropriate prescribing of opioids, especially among male and FFS enrollees are needed to reduce prescription drug abuse within this population.