The relationship between provider age and opioid prescribing behavior.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVES: The relationship between provider age and quality of care is theoretically indeterminate. Older providers are more experienced, which could lead to a positive relationship between age and quality, but providers' practice patterns could become outdated as technology and scientific knowledge change, which could lead to a negative relationship between age and quality. However, little work has investigated the provider age/quality relationship, and no work has investigated the relationship between provider age and opioid prescribing behavior. STUDY DESIGN: We analyze Medicare Part D data to investigate how opioid prescribing differs by provider age. METHODS: We use regression analysis to estimate the effect of provider age, holding other factors constant. RESULTS: We find that older providers prescribe significantly more opioids, with the gap between older and younger providers increasing from 2010 to 2015. CONCLUSIONS: Assuming that older physicians follow patterns of previous generations, anticipated retirement of older providers and entry by younger providers will tend to reduce opioid volumes, undoing at least in part the rapid increase since 2000.