Pain practice : the official journal of World Institute of Pain
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Compare healthcare resource utilization (HCRU) and costs between patients prescribed opioids (RxOP) and those who were not (NoRxOP) during an emergency department (ED) or inpatient visit. ⋯ Most patients were prescribed opioids initially during ED/inpatient visits and incurred higher HCRU than those not prescribed opioids. Among those with diagnosed opioid abuse after initiating opioids, time to diagnosis was rapid (range: 14 to 260 days) for patients with common diseases and procedures.
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Evaluate prevalence and risk-adjusted healthcare costs of diagnosed opioid abuse in the national Veterans Health Administration (VHA). Costs were compared between patients with and without diagnosed opioid abuse. ⋯ Diagnosed opioid abuse prevalence is almost 7-fold higher in the veteran's administration population than in commercial health plans and translates to a significant economic burden. Appropriate interventions should be considered to prevent and reduce opioid abuse.