Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 5, 2026

Author Spotlight: An Efficient Methodology to Confidently Differentiate and Characterize Fentanyl Analogs
Published on: November 8, 2024
Opioid prescribing patterns and overdose deaths in Texas
Tiffany Champagne-Langabeer1, Renita Madu2, Sharmila Giri1
1School of Biomedical Informatics, The University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston, Texas, USA.
Opioid prescribing decreased in Texas, but overdose deaths significantly increased. This highlights that physician prescribing changes alone may not solve the opioid crisis, necessitating broader interventions.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Epidemiology
- Pharmacology
Background:
- Opioid use disorder is a major public health crisis.
- Understanding trends in opioid prescribing and overdose deaths is crucial.
- The impact of prescription drug monitoring programs (PDMPs) on these trends is not fully understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze opioid prescribing patterns and overdose fatalities in Texas before PDMP implementation.
- To identify changes in opioid prescribing behavior over time.
Main Methods:
- Utilized de-identified longitudinal data from state and national databases (2013-2017).
- Analyzed opioid prescriptions and overdose deaths in Texas.
- Employed descriptive statistics and trend analyses.
Main Results:
- Opioid prescriptions constituted over 45% of all controlled medications dispensed.
- Hydrocodone, tramadol, and codeine were the most prescribed opioids.
- Despite a decrease in overall prescribing rates and a shift towards less potent opioids, total overdose fatalities increased by 42%.
Conclusions:
- Decreasing physician opioid prescribing alone is insufficient to combat the rising opioid overdose epidemic.
- Both prescription and illicit opioid deaths are increasing, requiring comprehensive policy and community interventions.
More Related Videos
16:02Demonstration of the Sequence Alignment to Predict Across Species Susceptibility Tool for Rapid Assessment of Protein Conservation
Published on: February 10, 2023
09:54Combining Laser Capture Microdissection and Microfluidic qPCR to Analyze Transcriptional Profiles of Single Cells: A Systems Biology Approach to Opioid Dependence
Published on: March 8, 2020
Related Concept Videos
Opioid Analgesics: Synthetic and Semisynthetic Opioids
Prescription, Nonprescription and Orphan Drugs
The misuse and addiction to prescription drugs is a growing problem that can affect people of all age groups, specifically teenagers. This can happen when prescription medications are used in ways not intended by the prescriber, such as taking someone else's prescription or using medication for...
Opioid Analgesics: Morphine and Other Natural Cogeners
Analgesia and Pain Management
Opioid Receptors: Overview
Drug Abuse and Addiction: Pharmacological Phenomena