Prescribing of Opioid Analgesics and Buprenorphine for Opioid Use Disorder During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Source:

Currie JM, Schnell MK, Schwandt H, Zhang J. Prescribing of Opioid Analgesics and Buprenorphine for Opioid Use Disorder During the COVID-19 Pandemic. JAMA Netw Open. 2021;4(4):e216147. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2021.6147

Key Points

Question  How has prescribing of opioid analgesics and buprenorphine for opioid use disorder changed throughout the COVID-19 pandemic?

Findings  This cross-sectional study analyzed prescriptions from 90 420 353 patients and found that from March 18 to May 19, 2020, total morphine milligram equivalents of opioid analgesics prescribed to existing patients followed prepandemic trends; prescriptions to opioid-naive patients were 34% below projected levels but rebounded by August 2020. Prescribing of buprenorphine for opioid use disorder followed prepandemic trends for existing patients, while prescriptions to new patients were 18% below projected levels, rebounding to 90% of projected levels by August 2020.

Meaning  This study suggests that prescriptions for opioid analgesics and buprenorphine for opioid use disorder decreased among new, but not existing, patients during the COVID-19 pandemic.