ArticleEuropean journal of clinical pharmacology2025
The role of prescribed opioids in Norwegian overdose deaths in 2005-2021.
Article in European journal of clinical pharmacology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.
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.
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.
Who cites it
1 citing paper in PubMed.
- Response to comment on "The role of prescribed opioids in Norwegian overdose deaths in 2005-2021".European journal of clinical pharmacology · 2026Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
Abstract
purposePharmaceutical opioids significantly contribute to overdose deaths in Norway. This study investigated the prevalence of prescriptions and examined characteristics of those with filled prescriptions, comparing them to individuals without prescriptions.
methodsThis cohort study encompassed overdose deaths from 1.1.2005 to 31.12.2021, using toxicology and data linkage from nationwide health registries. Approximately 90% of Norwegian forensic autopsy cases were linked to the Norwegian Cause of Death Registry and the Norwegian Prescribed Drug Registry. The study included cases with overdose as cause of death, as defined by the European Union Drugs Agency (EUDA), along with benzodiazepine- and GHB-induced deaths (N = 3764). Detection and filled prescription of oxycodone, codeine, buprenorphine, methadone, tramadol, and fentanyl were studied.
resultsFentanyl had the lowest proportion of filled prescriptions prior to death (27%), whereas codeine had the highest (67%). Buprenorphine and methadone, primary medications used in opioid agonist treatment (OAT) in Norway, showed low rates of filled prescriptions (33% and 29%, respectively). Women and older adults exhibited a higher prevalence of filled prescriptions compared to men and younger individuals. More than half of the individuals with prescribed opioids also had benzodiazepines prescribed and/or in their blood prior to death.
conclusionA substantial proportion of the deceased had filled prescriptions for opioids, indicating that medical treatment might be a crucial source for these substances in overdose deaths. Additionally, poly-drug use was common, especially opioids and benzodiazepines, highlighting the need for prescribers to be cautious.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
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.