Prevalence and Expenses of Outpatient Opioid Prescriptions, with Associated Sociodemographic, Economic, and Work Characteristics

Details

• Personal Author:
  Alterman, Toni ; Asfaw A ; Quay B
• Description:
  Information on opioids obtained by workers is important for both health and safety. We examined the prevalence and total expenses of obtaining outpatient opioid prescriptions, along with associated sociodemographic, economic, and work characteristics, in national samples of U.S. workers. We used Medical Expenditure Panel Survey data (2007-2016) along with descriptive and multiple logistic regression. During the study period, an estimated 21 million workers (12.6%) aged 16 years or older obtained one or more outpatient opioid prescriptions, at an expense of $2.81 billion per year. Private health insurance covered half of the total opioid expenses for workers. The prevalence of obtaining opioid prescriptions was higher for women than for men, but men had higher opioid expenses. In addition, the prevalence of obtaining opioid prescriptions was higher for workers who were older; non-Hispanic white; divorced, separated, or widowed; and non-college-educated. There is an inverse relationship between family income and the likelihood of obtaining opioids. Compared to workers with private insurance, workers with public health insurance had higher expenses for opioid prescriptions. Finally, workers in occupations at higher risk for injury and illness - including construction and extraction; farming; service; and production, transportation, and material moving occupations - were more likely to obtain opioid prescriptions. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Aging Construction Industry Demography Farmers Manufacturing And Industrial Facilities Men Occupational Health Risk Assessment Risk Factors Safety Transportation Women Workplace

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• Keywords:
  Age Groups Author Keywords: Opioid Prescriptions Construction Demographic Characteristics Drugs Health Effects Humans Injuries Materials Handling Materials Transport MEPS Occupation Opioid Expenses Risk Factors Service Industries Socioeconomics Sociological Factors Transportation Industry Work Work Environment Worker Health Workers Worker Safety

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• ISSN:
  0020-7314
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  District of Columbia ; Ohio ; OSHA Region 3 ; OSHA Region 5
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  OD - Office of the Director ; DFSE - Division of Field Studies and Engineering ; DSHEFS - Division of Surveillance, Hazard Evaluations, and Field Studies
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  82-94
• Volume:
  50
• Issue:
  1
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20057462
• Citation:
  Int J Health Serv 2020 Jan; 50(1):82-94
• Contact Point Address:
  Abay Asfaw, Office of the Director, Economic Research and Support Office, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, 395 E Street, SW, Washington, District of Columbia 20201
• Email:
  hqp0@cdc.gov
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2020
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Source Full Name:
  International Journal of Health Services
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:09e54e360c795f8087c15052521696dcb2730d542991da5866b744ce7f082dc39e6052de9423918db814f7930c6497ba7ca30cd740ac4e71d4c0e17710f22bad
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/214812/cdc_214812_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 352.61 KB ]