Concerns about opioid use in Medicare Part D in the Appalachian region
- Collection:
- Health Policy and Services Research
- Series Title(s):
- Data brief (United States Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General)
- Contributor(s):
- United States. Department of Health and Human Services. Office of Inspector General. Office of Evaluation and Inspections, issuing body.
- Publication:
- [Washington, D.C.] : U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, April 2019
- Language(s):
- English
- Format:
- Text
- Subject(s):
- Analgesics, Opioid -- therapeutic use Medicare Part D Opioid-Related Disorders -- epidemiology Drug Utilization -- statistics & numerical data Inappropriate Prescribing -- statistics & numerical data Prescription Drug Diversion -- statistics & numerical data Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs Humans Appalachian Region United States
- Genre(s):
- Technical Report
- Abstract:
- The opioid crisis has been declared a public health emergency. In 2016, there were more than 42,000 opioid-related overdose deaths in the United States--115 deaths per day. Nearly 7,000 of these deaths occurred in 5 States in the Appalachian region--Alabama, Kentucky, Ohio, Tennessee, and West Virginia. All five of these States had high opioid prescribing rates and four reported opioid-related overdose death rates that far exceeded that of the Nation. Identifying patients at risk of overdose or abuse is key to addressing this crisis. Opioids include narcotics intended to manage pain from surgery, injury, or illness. They can create a euphoric effect, which makes them vulnerable to abuse and misuse (i.e., taking opioids in a way other than prescribed). Although opioids can be appropriate under certain circumstances, the Office of Inspector General (OIG) and others are concerned about fraud, abuse, and misuse of opioids, as well as drug diversion--the redirection of prescription drugs for an illegal purpose, such as recreational use or resale. These concerns extend to opioids obtained under Medicare Part D, the optional prescription drug benefit for Medicare beneficiaries. In 2017, Part D covered about 45 million beneficiaries. In addition to these concerns, opioid use carries a number of health risks. Side effects from using opioids may include respiratory depression, confusion, increased tolerance, and physical dependence. For seniors, long-term use of prescription opioids also increases the likelihood of falls and fractures. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) published guidelines on prescribing opioids to patients with chronic pain. The guidelines recommend that prescribers use caution when ordering opioids at any dosage and avoid increasing dosages to the equivalent of 90 mg or more of morphine a day for chronic pain. This data brief is part of a larger strategy by OIG to fight the opioid crisis and protect beneficiaries from prescription drug misuse and abuse. As part of this strategy, OIG is partnering with other law enforcement agencies in the Appalachian Regional Prescription Opioid Strike Force, bringing together resources and expertise to fight the opioid crisis in five States. This data brief focuses on those five States: Alabama, Kentucky, Ohio, Tennessee, and West Virginia. OIG has also released a data brief on opioid use in the Ohio Medicaid program. In addition, OIG recently issued factsheets that describe Tennessee's and West Virginia's oversight of opioid prescribing and monitoring of opioid use. OIG has also reviewed opioid use in Part D nation-wide and has ongoing studies focused on access to care.
- Copyright:
- The National Library of Medicine believes this item to be in the public domain. (More information)
- Extent:
- 1 online resource (1 PDF file (13 pages))
- Illustrations:
- Illustrations
- NLM Unique ID:
- 101757537 (See catalog record)
- Permanent Link:
- http://resource.nlm.nih.gov/101757537