Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40568411›Full record

ArticleInnovation in aging2025

Incidence of Opioid Dose Tapering Among Older Adults Enrolled in Medicare.

Sujith Ramachandran, Shishir Maharjan, Liang-Yuan Lin, John P Bentley, Gerald McGwin, Ike Eriator, Kaustuv Bhattacharya, Yi Yang

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Innovation in aging, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
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

4 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
  3. Article
  4. Article
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

8 authors.

Sujith RamachandranDepartment of Pharmacy Administration, School of Pharmacy, University of Mississippi, University, Mississippi, USA.
Shishir MaharjanDepartment of Pharmacy Administration, School of Pharmacy, University of Mississippi, University, Mississippi, USA.
Liang-Yuan LinDepartment of Pharmacy Administration, School of Pharmacy, University of Mississippi, University, Mississippi, USA.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3679-2209
John P BentleyDepartment of Pharmacy Administration, School of Pharmacy, University of Mississippi, University, Mississippi, USA.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9241-6833
Gerald McGwinSchool of Public Health, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, USA.
Ike EriatorSchool of Medicine, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, Mississippi, USA.
Kaustuv BhattacharyaDepartment of Pharmacy Administration, School of Pharmacy, University of Mississippi, University, Mississippi, USA.
Yi YangDepartment of Pharmacy Administration, School of Pharmacy, University of Mississippi, University, Mississippi, USA.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1575-5257

Funding

Safety and Effectiveness of Opioid Tapering among Older AdultsR15DA046036 · NIDA · UNIVERSITY OF MISSISSIPPI · PI YANG, YI · 2018 to 2022
$875k
NIDA NIH HHS R15 DA046036
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background and Objectives: Long-term opioid therapy (LTOT) is frequently used for management of chronic noncancer pain, but its associations with increased risks of overdose and mortality have necessitated an evaluation of strategies for tapering or discontinuation. The process of opioid tapering is complex due to associated withdrawal symptoms and potential adverse outcomes. Thus, understanding tapering patterns and associated factors is vital for optimizing pain management, especially for vulnerable older adults. Research Design and Methods: This cohort study used the 5% national sample of Medicare administrative claims data from 2012 to 2019. The study cohort consisted of individuals aged 65 and older on LTOT. The key outcomes were time until any tapering or rapid tapering of opioids. Various predictor variables, including sociodemographic and clinical factors, were examined. Survival curves were plotted, and Cox proportional hazards models were used for data analysis. Results: The study cohort included 146,605 Medicare beneficiaries on LTOT, of which the largest percentages were aged 65-74 years (48.5%), women (68.0%), and non-Hispanic White (82.3%). Within the first year of LTOT use, nearly 1 in 2 individuals experienced any tapering, and about 1 in 4 individuals experienced rapid tapering. Presence of multiple chronic noncancer pain conditions, hepatic impairment, sleep disorders, higher baseline opioid dose, and LTOT initiation after 2016 were associated with increased rate of both any tapering and rapid tapering. The release of the 2016 CDC guideline was associated with a 45% and 64% increase in the hazards of any tapering and rapid tapering, respectively. Discussion and Implications: This study estimated the incidence rate and predictors of opioid tapering among older adults in the United States. Combined with rates of opioid prescribing and prevalence of chronic pain, these epidemiological data are crucial for identifying and improving the safety and effectiveness of pain management among older adults.

Indexed as

CancerChronic noncancer painLong-term opioid therapyOpioid tapering

Identifiers

PMID40568411
PMCPMC12188434

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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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.