Arthritis & rheumatology (Hoboken, N.J.)
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Arthritis Rheumatol · Jul 2020
Observational StudyPhysician Prescribing Patterns and Risk of Future Long-Term Opioid Use Among Patients With Rheumatoid Arthritis: A Prospective Observational Cohort Study.
To identify the extent to which opioid prescribing rates for patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) vary in the US and to determine the implications of baseline opioid prescribing rates on the probability of future long-term opioid use. ⋯ Rates of opioid prescriptions vary widely. Our findings indicate that baseline opioid prescribing rates are a strong predictor of whether a patient will become a long-term opioid user in the future, after controlling for patient characteristics.