Changing Trends in Opioid Use Among Patients With Rheumatoid Arthritis in the United States.

OBJECTIVE: Opioid prescribing recently has come under intense scrutiny. However, longitudinal patterns of prescription opioid receipt in a population-based cohort of patients with chronic pain, such as those with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), have not been well characterized. The aim of this study was to examine both trends over time and variability in individual physician prescribing of short-term and long-term use of opioids. METHODS: We identified a cohort of RA patients based on 2006-2014 Medicare data and evaluated longitudinal time trends in "regular" use of opioids. A separate analysis conducted in 2014 assessed rheumatologist-specific variability in regular use of opioid prescriptions in patients with RA. RESULTS: We identified 97,859 RA patients meeting the eligibility criteria. The mean age of the patients was 67 years, 80% were female, 82% were white, and 12% were African American. The most commonly used opioids were those that combined acetaminophen with hydrocodone or propoxyphene. Regular opioid prescribing increased slowly but peaked in 2010 before propoxyphene was withdrawn from the market. Following the withdrawal of propoxyphene, receipt of hydrocodone and tramadol increased commensurately, and overall opioid use declined only slightly. Factors associated with regular use of opioids included younger age, female sex, African American race, back pain, fibromyalgia, anxiety, and depression. Variability between US rheumatologists (n = 4,024) in prescribing the regular use of opioids for their RA patients was high; in the average rheumatologist's practice, 40% of RA patients used prescription opioids regularly. In almost half of the patients, at least some opioid prescriptions were written by a rheumatologist, and 14% received opioids that were co-prescribed concurrently by more than 1 physician. CONCLUSION: In the US, opioid use in older patients with RA peaked in 2010 and is now declining slightly. Withdrawal of propoxyphene from the US market in 2010 had minimal effect on overall opioid use, because use of propoxyphene was replaced by increased use of other opioids.

Opioid Analgesics and the Risk of Serious Infections Among Patients With Rheumatoid Arthritis: A Self-Controlled Case Series Study.

OBJECTIVE: Animal studies and in vitro human studies suggest that certain opioid analgesics impair crucial immune functions. This study was undertaken to determine whether opioid use is associated with increased risk of serious infection in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). METHODS: We conducted a self-controlled case series analysis on a retrospective cohort of 13,796 patients with RA enrolled in Tennessee Medicaid in 1995-2009. Within-person comparisons of the risk of hospitalization for serious infection during periods of opioid use versus non-use were performed using conditional Poisson regression. Fixed confounders were accounted for by design; time-varying confounders included age and use of disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs, glucocorticoids, and proton-pump inhibitors. In additional analyses, risks associated with new opioid use, use of opioids known to have immunosuppressive properties, use of long-acting opioids, and different opioid dosages were assessed. Sensitivity analyses were performed to account for potential protopathic bias and confounding by indication. RESULTS: Among 1,790 patients with RA who had at least 1 hospitalization for serious infection, the adjusted incidence rate of serious infection was higher during periods of current opioid use compared to non-use, with an incidence rate ratio (IRR) of 1.39 (95% confidence interval [95% CI] 1.19-1.62). The incidence rate was also higher during periods of long-acting opioid use, immunosuppressive opioid use, and new opioid use compared to non-use (IRR 2.01 [95% CI 1.52-2.66], IRR 1.72 [95% CI 1.33-2.23], and IRR 2.38 [95% CI 1.65-3.42], respectively). Results of sensitivity analyses were consistent with the main findings. CONCLUSION: In within-person comparisons of patients with RA, opioid use was associated with an increased risk of hospitalization for serious infection.

[Assessment of quality in day-case hand surgery]. / Démarche d'assurance qualité en chirurgie ambulatoire de la main.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the level of satisfaction in terms of pain relief and comfort among patients receiving different postoperative analgesia protocols after hand surgery under regional anaesthesia in a day care unit. METHODS: Cohort study among patients after hand surgery under regional anaesthesia during two consecutive three months time periods, with patient stratification according to the expected pain level with different balanced analgesia protocols (group A: carpal tunnel, group B: other surgery without bone involvement, group C: bone surgery). A telephone survey, scoring analgesia and comfort, each with a numerical (0-10) scale was conducted on days 1 and 7. During the first period analgesia for groups A and B was the same (acetaminophen-dextropropoxyphene or acetaminophen-codeine) and group C patients were treated with acetaminophen-ketoprofen-tramadol. In the second period analgesia was reduced for group A (acetaminophen alone) and increased for group B (acetaminophen-ketoprofen-tramadol) and group C (duration increased from 3 to 7 days). RESULTS: For carpal tunnel surgery, analgesia with acetaminophen alone was efficient, (Pain scale [PS] d0=2[0-10], PS d1=1 [0-10] and PS d2-d4=0,5 [0-10]). This surgery does not elicit important pain, there is no benefit in adding other analgesics. For group B, a significant improvement in postoperative pain was observed (postoperative d1 p<0.03) with a major increase in side effects (2/57 vs 17/48 p<0.001). For group C, therapeutic changes were ineffective (PS d0=2 vs 3.5 et PS d1=3 vs 5 [NS]) and we noticed an increase in side effects (p<0.05). One third of all patients are totally satisfied on day 7, logistic regression showing the role of inefficient analgesia in late postoperative period (PS>2 between d2-d4). Between day 1 and day 7, 20% of the patients change their point of view, those who feel less satisfied on day 7 complained of a more severe postoperative pain between day 2 and 4 (p<0.001) and between day 5-7 (p<0.01). CONCLUSION: For hand surgery on day case, quality of late postoperative analgesia (day 2-day 7) is strongly related to patient's satisfaction on day 7.

Trends in opioid consumption in the Nordic countries 2002-2006.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of the study was to examine the trends in opioid consumption in the five Nordic countries between 2002 and 2006 and to explore possible explanations for changes in the quality and quantity of opioids consumed. METHODS: Data on opioid consumption were extracted from the databases of the respective national authorities. Six strong and four weak opioids were included in the analysis. Data were presented as DDDs/1000 inhabitants/day. In addition, information on the reimbursement system and opioid prescription regulations in respective countries was obtained. Also, the cost of analgesic medication in the Nordic countries was compared as equipotent doses of CR morphine, CR oxycodone and transdermal fentanyl. RESULTS: During the five year period examined the total use of opioids showed some increase in all countries except Sweden. In Finland and Norway the increase in the total consumption was mainly due to an increase in the consumption of strong opioids while in Denmark the rise was due to increased consumption of weak opioids. The consumption of morphine was stabile or decreased slightly in all countries while the use of transdermal fentanyl increased in Denmark, Finland and Sweden and oxycodone in all countries except Iceland. The consumption of dextropropoxyphene decreased in all countries. Reimbursement policies or prescription regulations do not seem to explain the kind/type of opioids consumed or changes in their consumption. CONCLUSIONS: Consumption of opioid analgesics in the Nordic countries showed changes over the five year period that cannot be explained by pharmacology, price, reimbursement or prescription regulations. Marketing has most likely significantly influenced the type and amount of opioids consumed.

National trends in and predictors of propoxyphene use in community-dwelling older adults.

BACKGROUND: Several pain management guidelines and explicit medication-use criteria identify propoxyphene as an inappropriate medication for use in older adults. OBJECTIVE: This study was conducted to estimate trends in propoxyphene use among community-dwelling elderly (age > or = 65 years) Medicare beneficiaries from 1993 through 1999 and to determine whether beneficiaries' drug coverage and specific characteristics of their physicians were associated with receipt of propoxyphene in 1999. METHODS: Data from the Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey (MCBS) were used to examine the prevalence of propoxyphene use in cross-sections of nationally representative samples of community-dwelling elderly Medicare beneficiaries from 1993 through 1999. The 1999 MCBS was linked with the 1999 Area Resource File to examine patient and physician factors associated with propoxyphene use in the community-dwelling elderly at the county level. RESULTS: Rates of propoxyphene use were generally stable over the 7-year period, from an annual prevalence of 6.8% in 1993 to the slightly decreased prevalence of 6.6% in 1999. No protective effects against propoxyphene use were observed based on beneficiaries' drug coverage or type of drug coverage. Rather, Medicaid beneficiaries were more likely to receive propoxyphene than those without drug coverage (odds ratio [OR] = 1.40; 95% CI, 1.02-1.92). Among physician characteristics, male sex (OR = 1.34; 95% CI, 1.02-1.75) and medical specialty (OR = 0.81; 95% CI, 0.65-1.00) were strongly correlated with prescribing of propoxyphene. CONCLUSION: This study found a continuing high prevalence of propoxyphene use in the community-dwelling elderly Medicare population from 1993 through 1999, with > 2 million beneficiaries receiving the drug in 1999.

Usage of paracetamol-containing combination analgesics remains high in primary care.

AIMS: Paracetamol-containing combination analgesics are widely prescribed but the use of paracetamol/dextropropoxyphene (co-proxamol) is particularly controversial. We aim to examine the prescribing patterns of the paracetamol-containing analgesics in Ireland. METHODS: A national primary care prescribing database was used to investigate patterns of usage. Twenty-six thousand three hundred and eighteen patients who were new to therapy with paracetamol and paracetamol-containing analgesics between January and June 2002 were identified as follows: no previous analgesic medication in the 6 months prior to enrolment into the study, and followed up for at least 12 months from the time of enrolment. Duration of therapy and the number of prescriptions received post enrolment were analyzed according to age. Odds ratios for receiving long-term (>1 month) compared with short-term (1 month) prescriptions for co-proxamol, paracetamol only or a paracetamol combination-type analgesic were calculated for women vs. men, and in those aged over 65 vs. those aged under 65 years. RESULTS: Co-proxamol was the most commonly prescribed analgesic, accounting for 42% of all prescriptions dispensed during 2003. Long-term use of paracetamol-containing analgesic preparations was uncommon, with 56.7% receiving only 1 month's prescription during the study period. However, women (OR = 1.18, 95% CI 1.07, 1.28, P < 0.0001) and those over 65 years (OR = 1.71, 95% CI 1.57, 1.86, P < 0.0001) were more likely to receive a follow-up prescription for co-proxamol, but also for paracetamol (women, OR = 1.28, 95% CI 1.16, 1.39; over 65 year olds, OR = 2.67, 95% CI 2.44, 2.93) and the paracetamol combinations (women, OR = 1.33, 95% CI 1.20, 1.47; over 65 year olds, OR = 1.69, 95% CI 1.53, 1.87). CONCLUSIONS: Co-proxamol was the most commonly prescribed paracetamol-containing analgesic preparation in Ireland. The results may indicate inappropriate use in primary care.

Patterns and trends in opioid use among individuals with back pain in the United States.

STUDY DESIGN: Secondary analysis of Medical Expenditure Panel Survey from 1996 to 1999. OBJECTIVE: To examine patterns in opioid use in 1996, 1997, 1998, and 1999 among individuals with back pain in the United States and to investigate trends in the use of overall and individual opioid category. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: To the authors' best knowledge, no study has examined at a national level the patterns and trends in opioid use among individuals with back pain in the United States. METHODS: Individuals with back pain were stratified by sociodemographic characteristics and geographic regions. Rates of overall opioid use were compared among different strata by the use of simple and multivariate logistic regression models. To investigate trends in opioid use, use rates of the overall and individual opioid category in each year were calculated and compared. RESULTS: From 1996 to 1999, wide variations in overall opioid use were consistently observed among individuals with different educational levels, family income, and health insurance status. Regional variation in opioid use was also observed for most of the 4 years. After adjustment for covariates, health insurance status and geographic regions were consistent predictors of opioid use from 1997 to 1999. Trend analysis indicated that the rates of overall opioid use increased slightly across the 4-year span. Among individual opioid categories, the use of oxycodone or hydrocodone increased, whereas the use of propoxyphene decreased. CONCLUSIONS: The variation in overall opioid use among individuals with back pain with different sociodemographic characteristics and from different geographic regions suggested an opportunity to improve opioid prescribing patterns. The increase in the use of hydrocodone and oxycodone indicated a need to better assess the efficacy and safety associated with these drugs among individuals with back pain.

Propoxyphene use by community-dwelling and institutionalized elderly Medicare beneficiaries.

OBJECTIVES: To provide the first comparable national prevalence estimates on use of propoxyphene, a potentially inappropriate drug, by elderly Medicare beneficiaries living in the community and institutions and to determine whether institutionalized beneficiaries are at a greater risk for receiving propoxyphene than community-dwelling beneficiaries. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. SETTING: U.S. representative sample of elderly using Medicare database. PARTICIPANTS: Nationally representative sample of community-dwelling (n = 9,851, weighted n = 32.5 million) and institutionalized (n = 1,099, weighted n = 2.3 million) Medicare beneficiaries aged 65 and older. MEASUREMENTS: National estimates on prevalence of propoxyphene use and the odds of receiving propoxyphene were the two main outcome measures. RESULTS: Annual prevalence of propoxyphene use in 1998 was 6.8% by all community-dwelling elderly beneficiaries and 15.5% by institutionalized elderly beneficiaries. Beneficiaries in long-term care facilities had almost 40% higher odds of receiving propoxyphene (odds ratio = 1.38, 95% confidence interval = 1.1-1.8) than beneficiaries in the community even after controlling for other factors in a logistic regression. Other risk factors include female, rural residence, poor health, and history of osteoporosis or hip fracture. Beneficiaries residing in regions in the midwest and south were more than twice as likely to receive propoxyphene as those in the mid-Atlantic area. CONCLUSION: These results show that propoxyphene use by U.S. community-dwelling seniors is high but is much higher in the institutionalized population. These findings suggest that prescribing for older adults with pain could be improved, especially for vulnerable long-term care residents.

Utilisation of codeine and propoxyphene: geographic and demographic variations in prescribing, prescriber and recipient categories.

OBJECTIVES: To assess (1) whether the utilisation of codeine or propoxyphene differs among the three major Swedish cities (Stockholm, Göteborg and Malmö) and between urban and semirural areas; (2) if so, whether it co-varies with the utilisation of other potentially dependence-promoting drugs, benzodiazepines; (3) what influence age, gender and socioeconomic factors have on the prescribing of the two narcotic analgesics; and (4) whether different codeine-prescriber categories have different prescribing habits. METHODS: In Sweden, all pharmacies are owned by one corporation, Apoteket AB. This corporation collects, stores and compiles statistics on all drug sales in Sweden, and data are available both on national, regional, county and municipal levels. The employed unit is defined daily dose (DDD) per 1,000 inhabitants per day. Using the pharmacy computer system while dispensing a drug, prescription patterns can be elucidated. This system describes the number of drug items dispensed, drug amounts and age and gender of patients. Furthermore, data from another, ecological study were used to relate codeine and propoxyphene utilisation to that of benzodiazepines and to various socioeconomic data available from records of the city of Malmö. RESULTS: The utilisation of analgesics in Sweden has increased during a 10-year period. The withdrawal of over-the-counter combinations containing aspirin and low-dose codeine in 1990 resulted only in a transient decrease of codeine use. The utilisation of codeine in Malmö and Göteborg was considerably higher than that in Stockholm and in the rest of Sweden, including the surroundings of Malmö. In Malmö and Göteborg, codeine was most often prescribed by private physicians to middle-aged persons, particularly women. Districts in Malmö with a high utilisation of codeine were associated with unfavourable socioeconomic conditions and a high utilisation of benzodiazepines. The utilisation pattern of propoxyphene showed less or no such deviations. CONCLUSION: The results suggest an inappropriate use of codeine in two major cities in Sweden.

Day case laparoscopy: a survey of postoperative pain and an assessment of the value of diclofenac.

A randomised, controlled study was undertaken to assess the postoperative pain and side effects experienced by patients undergoing day case diagnostic laparoscopy and laparoscopic sterilisation, and to evaluate the effectiveness in these patients of peroperative diclofenac. Patients undergoing laparoscopic sterilisation had significantly higher pain scores at one hour postoperatively, and at discharge, than patients undergoing diagnostic laparoscopy (p less than 0.01) but there were no significant differences in pain scores 24 hours after discharge. The incidence of postoperative side effects following discharge from hospital was high, but there were no significant differences between the groups. Diclofenac had no significant effect in either group on the severity of postoperative pain, or the incidence of postoperative side effects.

Economic and policy analysis of university-based drug "detailing".

The cost-effectiveness of quality assurance programs is often poorly documented, especially for innovative approaches. The authors analyzed the economic effects of an experimental educational outreach program designed to reduce inappropriate drug prescribing, based on a four-state randomized controlled trial (N = 435 physicians). Primary care physicians randomized into the face-to-face group were offered two individualized educational sessions with clinical pharmacists, lasting an average of 18 minutes each, concerning optimal use of three drug groups that are often used inappropriately. After the program, expenditures for target drugs prescribed by these physicians to Medicaid patients decreased by 13%, compared with controls (P = 0.002); this effect was stable over three quarters. Implementation of this program for 10,000 physicians would lead to projected drug savings (to Medicaid only) of $2,050,000, compared with resource costs of $940,000. Net savings remain high, even after adjustment for use of substitution medications. Although there was a ninefold difference in average preintervention prescribing levels between the highest and lowest thirds of the sample, all groups reduced target drug expenditures at the same rate. Targeting of higher-volume prescribers would thus further raise the observed benefit-to-cost ratio from approximately 1.8 to at least 3.0. Net benefits would also increase further if non-Medicaid savings were added, or if the analysis included quality-of-care considerations. Although print materials alone may be marginally cost-effective, print plus face-to-face approaches offer greater net benefits. The authors conclude that a program of brief, face-to-face "detailing" visits conducted by academic rather than commercial sources can be a highly cost-effective method for improving drug therapy decisions. Such an approach makes possible the enhancement of physicians' clinical expertise without relying on restriction of drug choices.

An articular index for the assessment of osteoarthritis.

An articular index was devised for the sequential assessment of patients with osteoarthritis (OA). Forty-eight joint units, chosen to reflect the characteristic pattern of the disease, were scored for tenderness on pressure or movement on a 4-point scale. Four observers examined patients to assess inter- and intraobserver error. The index was highly reproducible both within and between observers; intraobserver error was, however, significantly smaller. In a double-blind, cross-over trial the index was sufficiently sensitive to detect a statistically significant difference between the responses of patients with OA to an anti-inflammatory agent and to a simple analgesic. It is likely to be a useful addition to current methods of measurement in osteoarthritis.