Patterns and Correlates of Prescription Opioid Use in OEF/OIF Veterans with Chronic Non-Cancer Pain

Abstract

Objectives Little is known about the treatment Operation Enduring Freedom/Operation Iraqi Freedom (OEF/OIF) veterans receive for chronic non-cancer pain (CNCP). We sought to describe the prevalence of prescription opioid use, types and doses of opioids received, and identify correlates of receiving prescription opioids for CNCP among OEF/OIF veterans. Design Retrospective review of VA administrative data. Setting Ambulatory clinics within a VA regional healthcare network. Patients OEF/OIF veterans who had at least 3 elevated pain screening scores within a 12- month period in 2008. Within this group, those prescribed opioids (n=485) over the next 12 months were compared to those not prescribed opioids (n=277). In addition, patients receiving opioids short term (<90 days, n=284) were compared to patients receiving them long-term ( 90 consecutive days, n=201). Results Of 762 OEF/OIF veterans with CNCP, 64% were prescribed at least one opioid medication over the 12 months following their index dates. Of those prescribed an opioid, 59% were prescribed opioids short-term and 41% were prescribed opioids long-term. The average morphine-equivalent opioid dose for short-term users was 23.7 mg (SD=20.5) compared with 40.8 mg (SD=36.1) for long-term users (p<0.001). Fifty-one percent of long-term opioid users were prescribed short-acting opioids only and one-third were also prescribed sedative-hypnotics. In adjusted analyses, diagnoses of low back pain, migraine headache, post-traumatic stress disorder, and nicotine use disorder were associated with an increased likelihood of receiving an opioid prescription. Conclusion Prescription opioid use is common among OEF/OIF veterans with CNCP and is associated with several pain diagnoses and medical conditions.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Oct 01, 2011
Accession Number
ADA584026

Entities

People

  • Benjamin J. Morasco
  • Jonathan P. Duckart
  • Steven K. Dobscha
  • Tara A. Macey

Tags

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Anxiety Disorders
  • Depression
  • Drug Abuse
  • Health Services
  • Medical Personnel
  • Opioids
  • Pain
  • Pain Management
  • Therapy
  • Traumatic Stress Disorder

Fields of Study

  • Medicine

Readers

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