Study finds steady decline in pediatric opioid prescriptions since 2012
Outpatient opioid prescriptions for children have steadily declined since 2012, driven by fewer prescriptions for hydrocodone, according to a study reported online by JAMA Pediatrics. The average monthly prevalence of hydrocodone prescriptions decreased from a high of 3.2 per 1,000 children in 2011 to 1.4 per 1,000 in 2017, based on data from a large commercial insurance provider. Long-term opioid prescriptions for children also declined over the period. Between 1997 and 2012, hospital stays for opioid poisoning nearly doubled in U.S. children. Opioid use early in life can increase the risk of misuse in the future.
Related News Articles
Headline
The Food and Drug Administration Sept. 10 released draft guidance on non-opioid treatments for treating chronic pain and reducing prescription opioid misuse.…
Headline
A Health Affairs study published Sept. 2 found that less than 40% of Medicare beneficiaries with opioid use disorder received standard care in alignment with…
Headline
The Food and Drug Administration July 31 announced that it is requiring safety label changes to all opioid pain medications to further emphasize and explain…
Headline
Overdose deaths in the U.S. fell 26.9% last year to 80,391, according to estimates from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The agency reported…
Headline
The Food and Drug Administration Jan. 30 announced it approved Journavx (suzetrigine) oral tablets, a first-in-class non-opioid drug, to treat moderate to…
Headline
In this conversation, Vinnidhy Dave, D.O., hospice specialist and director of palliative medicine at Englewood Health Physician Network, and Lauren Savage,…