Comparison of Opioid Doctor Shopping for Tapentadol and Oxycodone: A Cohort Study

Abstract

The risk of opioid doctor shopping, ie, obtaining opioid prescriptions from multiple prescribers, is lower with tapentadol than with oxycodone.

Practical Considerations for the Use of Tapentadol Prolonged Release for the Management of Severe Chronic Pain

“…94 In a separate study 95 evaluating the rate of abuse of tapentadol IR among US college students during the 2 years after its launch in 2009, the rate of nonmedical use of tapentadol IR was low (7 times lower than that of oxycodone and 9 times lower than that of hydrocodone) and declined during the 2-year period despite increasing pharmacy sales. The low rate of tapentadol misuse was also observed in a recent retrospective cohort study, 96 which found that the risk of opioid doctor shopping was 43 times more likely for patients treated with oxycodone than for those treated with tapentadol. 96 These findings from early clinical experience with tapentadol suggest that it is associated with low rates of abuse and diversion in practice.…”

“…The low rate of tapentadol misuse was also observed in a recent retrospective cohort study, 96 which found that the risk of opioid doctor shopping was 43 times more likely for patients treated with oxycodone than for those treated with tapentadol. 96 These findings from early clinical experience with tapentadol suggest that it is associated with low rates of abuse and diversion in practice. The potential for abuse and addiction with tapentadol PR should be considered, however, for patients for whom there is a concern about an increased risk of misuse, abuse, addiction, or diversion.…”

Prescription opioid analgesic use in France: Trends and impact on morbidity–mortality

“…Shopping behaviour was defined as at least one day of overlapping prescriptions written by at least two different prescribers and dispensed by at least three different pharmacies. This definition was developed by Cepeda and has been applied in several previously conducted studies (Cepeda et al., , ,b, ; Delorme et al., ).…”

Incidence of tramadol shopping behavior in a retrospective cohort of chronic non-cancer pain patients in France

“…This definition has been used in previous researches. [44][45][46][47] The number of shopping episodes during the follow-up period and time to first episode of shopping behavior were also estimated.…”