Association Between Initial Opioid Prescription Duration and 30-Day Risk of Receiving Repeat Opioid Among Children

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Abhishek A Nair1, Jennifer L Placencia2, Harold J Farber3

  • 1Department of Pharmaceutical Health Outcomes and Policy, College of Pharmacy, University of Houston (AA Nair, RJ Aparasu, M Johnson, and H Chen), Houston, Tex.

Academic Pediatrics
|July 21, 2022
PubMed

Insights

This study found that the duration of an initial opioid prescription for children did not affect their likelihood of receiving a repeat prescription. Nearly 10% of pediatric patients refilled their opioid medication after acute pain treatment.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric pharmacology
  • Pain management
  • Public health

Background:

  • Opioid prescriptions for children are common for acute pain.
  • Understanding factors influencing repeat opioid prescriptions is crucial for managing pediatric opioid use and potential misuse.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the association between the duration of an initial opioid prescription and the likelihood of a child receiving a subsequent (repeat) opioid prescription.
  • To inform clinical guidelines and public health strategies regarding pediatric opioid prescribing.

Main Methods:

  • A retrospective cohort study analyzed Medicaid Managed Care data from 2013-2018.
  • Included were 17,086 children (ages 1-17) with an incident opioid prescription (no opioid use in the prior 12 months).
  • Logistic regression modeled the association between initial opioid prescription duration (1-3, 4-7, 8-10, >10 days) and repeat prescriptions within 30 days.

Main Results:

  • 10.4% of children (1780/17086) received a repeat opioid prescription.
  • Initial opioid prescription durations of 4-7 days, 8-10 days, and >10 days were not significantly associated with an increased likelihood of receiving a repeat prescription compared to 1-3 days' supply.
  • Adjusted odds ratios (aOR) for repeat prescriptions were comparable across all initial supply durations.

Conclusions:

  • Initial opioid prescription duration does not appear to be a significant predictor of receiving a repeat opioid prescription in children treated for acute pain.
  • These findings suggest that focusing on initial opioid prescription length alone may not be sufficient to prevent repeat opioid use in pediatric populations.
  • Further research should explore other factors contributing to repeat opioid prescriptions in children.
Abstract

Keywords:
acute painadolescentchildrenopioidpainstate opioid limits

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