Multiple opioid prescriptions among privately insured dental patients in the United States Evidence from claims data

Background. Multiple or high dosage opioid prescriptions increase the risk of experiencing drug misuse and overdose. The authors examine index (first) and follow-up opioid prescriptions for 1 year among privately insured dental patients in the United States from 2010 through 2015. Methods. The authors used the 2010 through 2015 Truven Health MarketScan Research data-bases and the Prescription Drug Monitoring Program Training Technical Assistance Center conversion data set. The authors analyzed index prescriptions, repeat prescriptions over 1 year, same-day multiple prescriptions, and concurrent prescriptions among dental patients. Descriptive analyses were conducted for days' supply, quantity of opioids, daily morphine milligram equivalent (MME) dose, and total MME dose. Results. Approximately 17.27% of all index prescriptions were dental related. The percentage of dental-related index prescriptions for age groups 11 through 18 years and 19 through 25 years was 23.51% and 23.41%, respectively. Approximately 80.87% of repeat prescriptions within 30 days of dental-related index prescriptions were dental related. In 39.07% of dental-related same-day multiple prescription incidents, the daily dose was greater than or equal to 50 MME. Approximately 58.28% of dental-related concurrent prescriptions were dispensed when an existing dental-related opioid prescription was available. Conclusions. Dental-related index prescriptions were highest for the age groups 11 through 18 years and 19 through 25 years. The frequency of dental-related repeat prescriptions was the highest within 30 days of a dental-related index prescription. Practical Implications. Low dosages of opioids and the use of prescription drug monitoring programs before prescribing opioids may reduce the potential for drug misuse or overdose.