Study: Variability in opioid dose may be a risk factor for opioid overdose



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DENVER, April 19, 2019 / PRNewswire / – According to an observational study by Kaiser Permanente published today in the JAMA Network Open, patients prescribing opioid badgesics whose doses varied over time were three times more likely to be overdosed than patients receiving doses of Stable opioids. The study also showed that patients who discontinued long-term opioid treatment for 3 months or longer had a half-risk of opioid overdose.

"Our study suggests that the safe management of long-term opioid therapy is complex," said Ingrid Binswanger, MD, principal investigator at the Kaiser Permanente Institute for Health Research in Colorado and co – author of the study.

"This study suggests that increasing or decreasing opioid doses – also known as dose variability – could pose an increased risk of overdose," said Dr. Binswanger. "With this study, we also found that the eventual cessation of opioid treatment may prevent overdoses and, as a result of further studies, we hope to find out how caregivers can help patients with pain-free conditions." unnecessarily expose to risk due to rapid dose changes. "

The 12-year study included more than 14,000 Kaiser Permanente members in Colorado who had been prescribed long-term opioids. Researchers used electronic health records to track patients' history to determine whether they had dose changes and overdoses caused by opioid badgesics and other opioid medications.

The research team received a follow-up grant of $ 2 million over four years from the National Institutes for Health. The study will examine how patients and physicians manage opioid dose changes, including the risks and long-term benefits of stopping opioid badgesics.

"Kaiser Permanente, along with many health care organizations across the country, has made significant changes to safely reduce opioid prescriptions for our members," said Jason Glanz, PhD, principal investigator at the Institute for Health Research and co-author of the study.

"This study represents the first of many investigations we plan to conduct on this topic," said Dr. Glanz. "Our goal is to help identify the safest and most effective approaches to managing long-term opioid therapy.We want to be able to minimize patients' pain and reduce their risk." overdose. "

This study was funded by the National Institute for Combating Drug Abuse and conducted by researchers from the Kaiser Permanente Health Research Institute.

Susan Shetterly, MS; Komal J. Narwaney, MPH, PhD; and Stan Xu, PhD.

About Kaiser Permanente
Kaiser Permanente is committed to helping shape the future of health care. We are recognized as one of the leading health care providers and nonprofit health care plans in the United States. Founded in 1945, Kaiser Permanente's mission is to provide affordable, high quality health care services, as well as to improve the health of our members and the communities we serve. We currently serve more than 12.4 million members in 8 states and the District of Columbia. The care of members and patients is centered on their overall health and guided by their doctors, specialists and permanent medical care team. Our expert and caring medical teams are empowered and supported by advances in technology and leading-edge tools for health promotion, disease prevention, state-of-the-art care and world-clbad chronic disease management. Kaiser Permanente is dedicated to innovations in care, clinical research, health education and community health support. For more information, visit kp.org/share

Media contact:
Nick Roper 303-905-7451 [email protected]
Heather Platisha 415-676-8030 [email protected]

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SOURCE Kaiser Permanente

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