Prescription opioids: Regional variation and socioeconomic status – evidence from primary care in England

Abstract

BackgroundThis study aimed to quantify dispensed opioid prescriptions among primary care practices throughout England and investigate its association with socioeconomic status (SES). MethodsThis cross-sectional study used publicly available data in 2015, including practice-level dispensing data and characteristics of registrants from the United Kingdom (UK) National Health Service Digital, and Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) data from Department of Communities and Local Government. Practices in England which had opioid prescriptions that could be assigned a defined daily dose (DDD) in the claim-based dispensing database were included. The total amount of dispensed opioid prescriptions (DDD/1000 registrants/day) was calculated for each practice. The association between dispensed opioid prescriptions and IMD was analyzed by multi-level regression and adjusted for registrants' characteristics and the clustered effect of Clinical Commissioning Groups. Subgroup analysis was conducted for practices in London, Birmingham, Manchester and Newcastle. ResultsOf the 7856 included practices in England, the median and interquartile range (IQR) of prescription opioids dispensed was 36.9 (IQR: 23.1, 52.5) DDD/1000 registrants/day. The median opioid utilization (DDD/1000 registrants/day) amongst practices varied between

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A retrospective cohort study evaluating correlates of deep tissue infections among patients enrolled in opioid agonist treatment using administrative data in Ontario, Canada

“…Income quintile. Income, material deprivation, and socio-economic status have been linked to higher rates of OUD [45][46][47]. Since income can have a significant impact on health, it was included as a potential correlate.…”

<p>Regional Differences in Opioid Prescribing in Germany – Results of an Analysis of Health Insurance Data of 57 Million Adult People</p>

“…This might be supported by regional variations of the residents' socioeconomic status, which was shown to have an influence on opioid use in international studies. 17,36,37 In Germany, districts categorized as peripheral or very peripheral, 24 where opioid use was high, largely overlap with areas displaying lower socioeconomic indicators (measured by education, occupation and income). These areas are, for example, located in Saarland, North Rhine-Westphalia, in rural areas of Lower Saxony and in the east of Germany.…”

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