Impact of reported NSAID "allergies" on opioid use disorder in back pain

It is crucial to identify patients at highest risk for opioid use disorder (OUD) and to address challenges in reducing opioid use. Reported nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) allergies may predispose to use of stronger pain medications and potentially to OUD.

We sought to investigate the clinical impact of reported NSAID allergy on OUD in patients with chronic back pain.

We conducted a retrospective study of adults receiving care at a tertiary health care system from January 1, 2013, to December 31, 2018. Back pain and OUD were identified using administrative data algorithms. We used propensity score matching and logistic regression to estimate the impact of self-reported NSAID adverse drug reactions (ADRs) on risk of OUD, adjusting for other relevant clinical information.

Of 47,114 patients with chronic back pain, 3,620 (7.7%) had a reported NSAID ADR. In an adjusted propensity score-matched analysis, patients with NSAID ADRs had higher odds (odds ratio, 1.34; 95% CI, 1.07-1.67) of developing OUD as compared with those without NSAID ADRs. Additional risk factors for OUD included younger age, male sex, Medicaid insurance, Medicare insurance, higher number of inpatient and outpatient visits in the previous year, and comorbid anxiety and depression. Patients with listed NSAID ADRs also had higher odds of a documented opioid prescription during the study period (odds ratio, 1.22; 95% CI, 1.11-1.34).

Adults with chronic back pain and reported NSAID ADRs are at a higher risk of developing OUD and receiving opioid analgesics, even after accounting for comorbidities and health care utilization. Allergy evaluation is critical for potential delabeling of patients with reported NSAID allergies and chronic pain.