• Allard Dembe, Thomas Wickizer, Cynthia Sieck, Jamie Partridge, and Robert Balchick.
• Division of Health Services Management & Policy,The Ohio State University College of Public Health, 1841 Neil Avenue,Columbus, OH 43210, USA. adembe@cph.osu.edu
• Am. J. Ind. Med. 2012 Apr 1; 55 (4): 313-24.

BackgroundMany authorities are concerned about the rising use and the potential overuse of opioid pain medications. A study of opioid prevalence and dosage in Ohio's workers' compensation (WC) system was conducted, with comparisons made to opioid use in other WC and non-WC settings.MethodsSystematic literature reviews of WC and non-WC opioid use and dosage nationally were conducted. Two years of Ohio WC data (2008-2009) were analyzed to determine average daily morphine equivalent dose (MED), opioid costs, pharmacies used per claimant, and extent of long-duration cases.ResultsNearly one-fifth (19.2%) of Ohio WC claims involved opioid use, compared to 31.8% in other WC systems and 17.9% in non-WC settings. Mean MED was 57.5 mg, compared to 47.8 mg in other WC systems, and 41.8 mg among non-WC populations. Nearly 10% of WC claims involved relatively high MED exceeding 120 mg/day.ConclusionPolicy makers need to develop strategies for addressing high opioid use in WC systems.Copyright © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

19 keywords...

hide…