Evidence map›Paper›PMID 33827841›Full record

ArticleBMJ open2021

Trends in long-term opioid prescriptions for musculoskeletal conditions in Australian general practice: a national longitudinal study using MedicineInsight, 2012-2018.

Sean Black-Tiong, David Gonzalez-Chica, Nigel Stocks

Open access · goldAbstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in BMJ open, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 17 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
17citing papers in PubMed
3.7field-weighted citation impact, top 7% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

17 citing papers in PubMed, 27 citations in OpenAlex.

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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

3 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.

Sean Black-TiongDiscipline of General Practice, Adelaide Medical School, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
David Gonzalez-ChicaDiscipline of General Practice, Adelaide Medical School, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia david.gonzalez@adelaide.edu.au.ORCID 0000-0002-7153-2878
Nigel StocksDiscipline of General Practice, Adelaide Medical School, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.ORCID 0000-0002-9018-0361
The University of Adelaide · AU

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveDescribe trends and patterns in long-term opioid prescriptions among adults with musculoskeletal conditions (MSK).

designInterrupted time-series analysis based on an open cohort study.

settingA representative sample of 402 Australian general practices contributing data to the MedicineInsight database.

participants811 174 patients aged 18+ years with an MSK diagnosis and three or more consultations in any two consecutive years between 2012 and 2018. Males represented 44.5% of the sample, 28.4% were 65+ years and 1.9% were Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islanders. PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES: Annual prevalence and cumulative incidence (%) of long-term opioid prescribing (3+ prescriptions in 90 days) among patients with an MSK. Average duration of these episodes in each year between 2012 and 2018.

resultsThe prevalence of long-term opioid prescribing increased from 5.5% (95% CI 5.2 to 5.8) in 2012 to 9.1% (95% CI 8.8 to 9.7) in 2018 (annual change OR 1.09, 95% CI 1.08 to 1.09), but a slightly lower incidence was observed in 2018 (3.0% vs 3.6%-3.8% in other years; annual change OR 0.99, 95% CI 0.98 to 0.99). The incidence was between 37% and 52% higher among practices located in rural Australia or lower socioeconomic areas. Individual risk factors included increasing age (3.4 times higher among those aged 80+ years than the 18-34 years group in 2012, increasing to 4.8 times higher in 2018), identifying as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander (1.7-1.9 higher incidence than their peers), or living in disadvantaged areas (36%-57% more likely than among those living in wealthiest areas). Long-term opioid prescriptions lasted in average 287-301 days between 2012 and 2016, reducing to 229 days in 2017 and 140 days in 2018. A longer duration was observed in practices from more disadvantaged areas and females in all years, except in 2018.

conclusionsThe continued rise in the prevalence of long-term opioid prescribing is of concern, despite a recent reduction in the incidence and duration of opioid management.

Indexed as

General PracticeMusculoskeletal DiseasesAdolescentAdultAged, 80 and overAnalgesics, OpioidAustraliaCohort StudiesFemaleHumansLongitudinal StudiesMalePractice Patterns, Physicians'Young AdultAnalgesics, Opioidback painepidemiologymusculoskeletal disorderspain managementprimary carepublic health

Identifiers

PMID33827841
PMCPMC8031026
OpenAlexW3144159824

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY-NC
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.