Patients who sought care for a sprained ankle in states that were found to be “high prescribers” of opioids were approximately three times more likely to receive a prescription for the drugs than those treated in “low-prescribing” states, according to new research.
Additional results of the study show that patients who received prescriptions for long courses of the drugs (for example, more than 30 tablets of oxycodone, 5 mg) were five times more likely to fill additional opioid prescriptions over the next six months than those who received just a few days’ supply (such as 10 tablets or less). The findings, reported by researchers at Penn Medicine and published in the Annals of Emergency Medicine, show wide geographic variability in prescribing patterns for minor injuries.
“Although opioids are not—and should not—be the first-line treatment for an ankle sprain, our study shows that opioid prescribing for these minor injuries is still common and far too variable,” says lead author Kit Delgado, an assistant professor of emergency medicine and epidemiology. “Given that we cannot explain this variation after adjusting for differences in patient characteristics, this study highlights opportunities to reduce the number of people exposed to prescription opioids for the first time and also to reduce the exposure to riskier high-intensity prescriptions.”
Read more at Penn Medicine News.
