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Opioid availability in outpatient pharmacies in Washington State
Jonathan D Mayer1, Beth Kirlin, Colin D Rehm
1Department of Epidemiology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA. jmayer@u.washington.edu
The Clinical Journal of Pain
|January 23, 2008
Summary
Opioid availability in Washington State pharmacies is high for both long-acting and short-acting formulations. While socioeconomic factors showed slight statistical links to reduced availability, these differences were not clinically significant.
Area of Science:
- Pharmacology
- Public Health
- Healthcare Access
Background:
- Opioid availability is a critical factor in pain management and addiction treatment.
- Understanding regional variations in opioid supply is essential for equitable healthcare.
- Previous studies have indicated disparities in opioid availability based on location and socioeconomic status.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the widespread availability of both long-acting and short-acting opioids in Washington State pharmacies.
- To investigate potential correlations between opioid availability and geographic location (rural/urban) or socioeconomic factors.
Main Methods:
- A comprehensive mail survey was distributed to 1349 outpatient pharmacies.
- Telephone follow-up was conducted for pharmacies that did not initially respond to the survey.
Main Results:
- Over 90% of surveyed pharmacies reported a broad supply of both long-acting and short-acting opioids.
- No significant differences in opioid availability were observed between rural and urban pharmacy locations.
- Pharmacies in areas with higher percentages of nonwhite residents or higher poverty levels showed statistically, but not clinically, significant reductions in opioid availability.
Conclusions:
- Opioid availability in Washington State pharmacies is generally high and widespread.
- Findings from Washington State contrast with previous reports from other US regions, highlighting potential regional healthcare variations.
- While socioeconomic factors showed minor statistical associations, they did not lead to clinically meaningful disparities in opioid availability in this study.
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