The American journal on addictions
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Recently, use of prescription opioids (POs) has increased; non-medical PO (NMPO) use is linked to overdose. NMPO use is common among individuals prescribed opioids for pain, and those in substance use disorder (SUD) treatment with pain could be at increased risk for unintentional overdose due to NMPO use. We examined associations between pain, NMPO use, and overdose among SUD treatment patients. ⋯ The relationship between pain and overdose among substance users may be, in part, explained by the association between pain and heavy NMPO use.