ER opioid prescribing drops during past decade

A report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows a significant decrease in the number of opioids prescribed to adults upon discharge from emergency departments in recent years. CDC researchers reviewed data from the National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey for 2006 through 2017. They found 14.6% of adults received opioid prescriptions upon discharge in 2016-2017 as compared to 19% in 2006-2007. Opioid prescriptions peaked in 2010-2011, with 21.5% of adults receiving narcotic analgesics or narcotic-analgesic combination drugs. The report states, “Top diagnoses associated with an opioid prescribed at discharge included dental pain, urolithiasis (stones in the kidney, bladder, or urinary tract), fracture injuries, back pain, and extremity pain.” (CDC National Health Statistics report, 1/8/20)