Community Opioid Dispensing after Injury (CODI): Cohort characteristics and opioid dispensing patterns

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Epidemiology
• Pharmacology

Background:

• Limited understanding of long-term opioid use in adults following injury.
• International focus on opioid research exists, but post-injury patterns are understudied.
• Analysis of the 'Community Opioid Dispensing after Injury' study data.

Purpose of the Study:

• Describe baseline characteristics of an injured cohort.
• Report opioid dispensing patterns following injury-related hospitalizations.
• Provide data prior to opioid stewardship program implementation.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective cohort study of adults hospitalized after injury in Queensland, Australia (2014-2015).
• Data linkage between hospitalization, community opioid dispensing, and mortality records.
• Analysis of dispensing patterns from 90 days pre-admission to 720 days post-discharge, calculating median daily oral morphine equivalents.

Main Results:

• 38.7% of 129,684 injured adults received community opioids post-injury.
• Older age, female sex, fracture injuries, and higher severity were associated with opioid dispensing.
• Pre-injury opioid use, readmissions, repeat surgeries, and mortality linked to longer durations and higher doses.
• Approximately 7% continued opioid dispensing at 2 years post-injury.

Conclusions:

• Novel population-level profile of pre-opioid stewardship opioid dispensing post-injury.
• Understanding this baseline is critical for evaluating future interventions.
• Highlights significant long-term opioid use and associated risk factors.