• Allen Kraut, Leigh Anne Shafer, and Colette B Raymond.
• Department of Internal Medicine, University of Manitoba; Department of Community Health Sciences, University of Manitoba.
• Am. J. Ind. Med. 2015 Jan 1; 58 (1): 33-9.

BackgroundThis study identifies the percentage of opioids prescribed for compensated workplace conditions in Manitoba, Canada and whether Workers Compensation Board (WCB) status is associated with higher prescription opioid doses.MethodsOpioid prescriptions for WCB recipients were linked with databases housed at the Manitoba Center for Health Policy. Duration of continuous opioid prescription and morphine equivalents (ME) per day (ME/D) were calculated for individuals age 18-65.ResultsOver the period from 1998 to 2010, 3.8% of the total opioid dosage of medication prescribed in the study population were prescribed to WCB recipients. WCB recipients accounted for 2.1% of the individuals prescribed opioids. In adjusted analyses WCB recipients were more likely to be prescribed over 120 ME/D (OR 2.06 95% CI, 1.58-2.69).ConclusionsWCB recipients account for a small, but significant amount of the total opioid prescribed in Manitoba. Manitoba's WCB population is a group at increased risk of being prescribed over 120 ME/day.© 2014 The Authors. American Journal of Industrial Medicine Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

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