US Trends in Long-Term Opioid Therapy
Long-term opioid prescribing has fallen in the United States over the last decade, but millions of patients still received opioids for 90 days or longer in 2023. Long-term opioid therapy—referred here as the use of opioid medications for 90 days or more—is frequently prescribed for individuals with chronic pain. Despite its common use, this approach continues to generate concern due to its potential risks and evolving prescribing practices across the United States.
In “US Trends in Long-Term Opioid Therapy,” Amy Jiao and her co-authors examine nationwide patterns in opioid prescribing as well as the demographic characteristics of patients who receive long-term treatment during the period from 2015 through 2023. Their analysis draws on data from the IQVIA Longitudinal Prescription Database, which captures more than 90% of prescriptions filled at American retail pharmacies.
The authors report a roughly 24% decline in the number of individuals receiving long-term opioid therapy during this time, along with a reduction in average daily opioid dosages. Conversely, they observed an increase in the average patient age and the share of older adults receiving long-term opioid prescriptions. Co-prescribing with benzodiazepines declined, but co-prescribing with gabapentinoids and stimulants rose. And despite extensive public health initiatives aimed at curbing opioid-related risks, long-term opioid therapy is still used by millions of Americans.
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Economist
