Relationship Between Opioid Prescribing Patterns and Claim Duration and Cost

Area of Science:

• Occupational Health
• Pharmacoeconomics
• Injury Epidemiology

Background:

• Opioid use for work-related injuries is common.
• Understanding the impact of prescription patterns on outcomes is crucial for cost containment and patient recovery.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the association between opioid prescription timing and duration with disability duration and claims costs.
• To identify specific opioid prescribing patterns that may lead to adverse outcomes in injured workers.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective cohort study utilizing lost time compensation claimant data.
• Logistic regression analysis was employed, adjusting for covariates such as sex, marital status, initial reserve, attorney involvement, and spinal surgeries.

Main Results:

• No significant difference in claim cost (≥$100,000) or duration (≥3 years) was observed between workers prescribed opioids for <30 days and those not prescribed opioids.
• Claims involving short-acting opioids continued beyond 180 days showed significantly higher odds of substantial cost (OR 6.21) and long duration (OR 3.32).

Conclusions:

• The timing and duration of opioid prescriptions are critical factors influencing claim costs and lost time for work-related injuries.
• Extended use of short-acting opioids beyond 180 days is associated with poorer claim outcomes.