Recent Research from University of the North Highlight Findings in Opioids (Long-term Opioid Therapy and Risk of Opioid Overdose By Derived Clinical Indication In North Carolina, 2006-2018): Opioids

Insurance Daily News

2025 FEB 06 (NewsRx) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Insurance Daily News -- Current study results on Opioids have been published. According to news reporting out of Chapel Hill, North Carolina, by NewsRx editors, research stated, “PurposeLong-term opioid therapy (LTOT) has been shown to be associated with opioid overdose, but the definition of LTOT varies widely across studies. We use a rigorous LTOT definition to examine risk of opioid overdose by duration of treatment.MethodsData were from a large private health insurance provider in North Carolina linked to mortality records from 2006-2018.”

Funders for this research include NIH National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), Centers for Disease Control & Prevention - USA, NIH National Institute of Allergy & Infectious Diseases (NIAID), Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research, Comparative Effectiveness Research Strategic Initiative of University of North Carolina’s Clinical and Translational Science Award.

Our news journalists obtained a quote from the research from the University of the North, “Eligible patients were adults (18-64) newly initiating opioid therapy after a pain diagnosis or surgery. We defined LTOT as >= 1 opioid prescription per month totaling >= 60 days’ supply within 90 days. We used inverse probability (IP)-weighted cumulative incidence functions to estimate three-year risk of opioid overdose and IP-weighted Fine-Gray models to estimate sub-distribution hazard ratios, comparing LTOT to short- to medium-term opioid therapy (SMTOT). We also examined modification by derived indication of acute pain or surgery versus chronic pain.ResultsWe identified 491 369 patients, and 1.7% were exposed to LTOT. The three-year risk of opioid overdose was 0.3 percentage points (RDw = 0.003, 95% CI: 0.001, 0.005) higher in LTOT patients compared to patients with SMTOT. The weighted hazard of opioid overdose was 4.4 times as high (HRw 4.42, 95% CI 2.41, 8.11) among patients exposed to LTOT versus SMTOT. We did not find meaningful modification by clinical indication for opioid therapy.ConclusionsExposure to LTOT was associated with increased risk of opioid overdose in this population of privately insured patients using a rigorous definition of LTOT.”

According to the news editors, the research concluded: “These findings confirm the importance of guidelines to minimize duration of opioid therapy whenever possible.”

This research has been peer-reviewed.

For more information on this research see: Long-term Opioid Therapy and Risk of Opioid Overdose By Derived Clinical Indication In North Carolina, 2006-2018. Pharmacoepidemiology and Drug Safety, 2025;34(1). Pharmacoepidemiology and Drug Safety can be contacted at: Wiley, 111 River St, Hoboken 07030-5774, NJ, USA. (Wiley-Blackwell - http://www.wiley.com/; Pharmacoepidemiology and Drug Safety - http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/10.1002/(ISSN)1099-1557)

Our news journalists report that additional information may be obtained by contacting Bethany L. Di Prete, University of the North Carolina, Gillings School of Global Public Health, Dept. of Epidemiology, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, United States. Additional authors for this research include Shabbar I. Ranapurwala, Audrey E. Pettifor, Kimberly A. Powers, Brian W. Pence, Naoko Fulcher and Paul L. Delamater.

The direct object identifier (DOI) for that additional information is: https://doi.org/10.1002/pds.70090. This DOI is a link to an online electronic document that is either free or for purchase, and can be your direct source for a journal article and its citation.

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