New Research: Overprescribing of Postsurgical Opioids Poses a Serious Threat to Patients and their Communities; Women Undergo...
September 26 2017 - 8:00AM
Patients receive an average of 85 pills following
surgery; overprescribing leads to 3.3 billion unused postsurgical
opioids every year
Americans were prescribed an exorbitant number of opioids in 2016
despite efforts to combat the nation’s growing opioid crisis,
according to new research conducted by the QuintilesIMS Institute.
The research report, The United States for Non-Dependence, shows
individuals undergoing surgery are at particular risk. The
overwhelming majority of patients (nine in 10) are exposed to
opioids to manage postsurgical pain, and those given prescriptions
received an average of 85 pills each. This new research represents
the most current analysis of national trends in opioid prescribing.
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Nearly 3 million individuals who had surgery in 2016 became
persistent opioid users, continuing to take opioids three to six
months after their procedure, according to the new research.
Further, as a result of overprescribing, 3.3 billion pills were
left unused by patients, making them available for potential
diversion or misuse.
“We know that the majority of opioid addictions start with
prescription medications, so it is critical to fight the opioid
epidemic by minimizing exposure to these drugs, especially to
vulnerable patient populations,” said Paul Sethi, M.D., orthopaedic
surgeon at Orthopaedic & Neurosurgery Specialists (ONS) and
President of the ONS Foundation for Clinical Research and
Education. “Combatting this problem requires a multi-factorial
approach – clinicians need to be more vigilant with their
prescribing, patients should feel empowered to speak candidly with
their doctor and take ownership of their postsurgical pain
management experience and effective non-opioid medications should
be routinely incorporated into postsurgical analgesic
regimens.”
Age and gender trends reveal excessive prescribing with
persistent use among womenThis analysis also uncovered
several key indicators that opioids pose a specific threat to women
undergoing surgical procedures, with 40 percent more women than men
becoming persistent users following a surgery. Middle-aged women,
ages 40-59, are particularly at-risk, as they were prescribed more
opioids than any other age group and receive twice as many
prescriptions as their male counterparts. These women were also
most likely to become newly persistent opioid users following
surgery, with 13 percent taking the drugs long after their
procedure. This scenario is especially dangerous for this age
group, as women between 45 and 54 years old have the highest death
rate from opioids among all females.
Although the overall risks are greatest for middle-aged women,
the research found that when looking at specific surgeries,
Generation X women, ages 35-44, who undergo total knee replacement
have an alarming rate of persistent opioid use. Twenty-three
percent of women in this age group were found to be using opioids
three to six months after their surgery.
“This report validates how the overprescribing of opioids
following surgery has become an inadvertent gateway to the growing
opioid epidemic,” said Gary Mendell, Founder and CEO of
Shatterproof, a national nonprofit that supports and advocates for
families affected by addiction. “By educating physicians about
proper opioid prescribing, and informing physicians and patients of
alternate ways to manage postsurgical pain, I’m hopeful we will see
fewer families devastated by opioid use.”
The independent analysis conducted by the QuintilesIMS
Institute, with funding from Pacira Pharmaceuticals, examined
national prescription opioid trends including age, gender and
geographical trends in opioid prescribing in 2016, as well as
opioid use in the surgical setting in the months prior to and
following surgery. The study analyzed the use of opioids for seven
specific surgical procedures including colectomy (removal of a
portion of the colon), hernia, hysterectomy, rotator cuff surgery,
sleeve gastrectomy (a procedure for weight loss), total hip
replacement and total knee replacement.
Additional key findings of the research
include:
- Patients undergoing a colectomy and knee replacement surgery
have the highest rate of persistent opioid use following surgery,
17.6 percent and 16.7 percent, respectively.
- A 10 percent reduction in surgery-related opioid prescribing
would reduce• The number of excess postsurgical pills available for
diversion or misuse by 332 million• The annual number of patients
who go on to persistent opioid use after surgery by 300,000• Annual
drug costs by $830 million
- Including sources other than surgery, 11.7 billion opioid pills
were prescribed to Americans in 2016, enough opioids for every man,
woman and child to have 36 pills apiece.• Rural states have the
highest rates of opioid prescribing; Alabama tops the list, with
enough opioids prescribed for every resident in the state to have
72 pills each.• Almost one in five opioid prescriptions (18
percent) went to patients age 20-39. This population is most likely
to abuse these drugs, and accounts for the greatest number of
individuals entering treatment for opioid
addiction.
This report is the second phase of a two-year research
initiative by Pacira Pharmaceuticals to help better educate
patients and prescribers about postsurgical opioid risks. In 2016,
in partnership with the American Society of Enhanced Recovery
(ASER), Pacira launched the Choices Matter program to promote
proactive patient-physician discussions on non-opioid options for
treating postsurgical pain. To build on the efforts, this year’s
initiative includes a collaboration with former NBA All-Star Grant
Hill, who has a history of surgery and has used both opioid and
non-opioid options. For more information and to download The United
States for Non-Dependence report, visit
www.PlanAgainstPain.com.
About Pacira Pacira Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
(NASDAQ:PCRX) is a specialty pharmaceutical company focused on the
clinical and commercial development of new products that meet the
needs of acute care practitioners and their patients. The company’s
flagship product, EXPAREL® (bupivacaine liposome injectable
suspension), indicated for single-dose infiltration into the
surgical site to produce postsurgical analgesia, was commercially
launched in the United States in April 2012. EXPAREL and two other
products have successfully utilized DepoFoam®, a unique and
proprietary product delivery technology that encapsulates drugs
without altering their molecular structure, and releases them over
a desired period of time. Additional information about Pacira is
available at www.pacira.com.
Company Contact:
Pacira Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Susan Mesco, (973) 451-4030
susan.mesco@pacira.com
Media Contact:
Coyne Public Relations
Alyssa Schneider, (973) 588-2270
aschneider@coynepr.com
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