• Anthony Jerant, Alicia Agnoli, and Peter Franks.
• Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of California Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, CA, USA. afjerant@ucdavis.edu.
• J Gen Intern Med. 2020 Feb 1; 35 (2): 554560554-560.

BackgroundHow physical and mental health status relate to receipt of opioid prescription remains unclear, creating uncertainty in minimizing opioid harms while avoiding pain under-treatment.ObjectiveTo examine the associations of physical and mental health status with subsequent opioid prescriptions.DesignObservational study of 2005-2015 United States (U.S.) Medical Expenditure Panel Survey data.ParticipantsAdult respondents (N = 78,563) participating for 2 years. The analyses focused on respondents reporting no opioid prescriptions in year 1 (N = 65,249).Main MeasuresIn the primary analysis, a negative binomial regression yielding adjusted incidence rate ratios (IRRs), the dependent variable was the number of opioid prescriptions in year 2. In two secondary analyses, both logistic regressions yielding adjusted odds ratios (ORs), the dependent variables were receipt of any opioid prescription (versus none) and receipt of ≥ 6 opioid prescriptions (versus 0-5) in year 2. The key independent variables in all analyses were the SF-12 Physical and Mental Component Summary scores (PCS-12 and MCS-12, respectively; higher scores = better health status). All models adjusted for socio-demographics, health-related variables, and year.Key ResultsPrimary analysis. With each 10-point decrement in year 1 PCS-12 or MCS-12 score, there were more opioid prescriptions received in year 2 (adjusted IRRs [95% CIs] 1.45 [1.39-1.52] and 1.22 [1.16-1.27], respectively). Secondary analyses. With each 10-point decrement in year 1 PCS-12 or MCS-12 score, there were higher odds in year 2 both of receiving any opioid prescription (adjusted ORs 1.23 [1.19-1.28] and 1.11 [1.08-1.15], respectively) and of receiving ≥ 6 opioid prescriptions (adjusted ORs 1.96 [1.75-2.17] and 1.37 [1.23-1.54], respectively).ConclusionsIn a nationally representative U.S. sample, both poorer physical and mental health status independently predicted receiving more opioid prescriptions received in a subsequent year, as well as receiving ≥ 6 prescriptions during the year. Our findings may contribute to a more nuanced picture of the drivers of opioid prescription.

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