Prescription opioid use in Australian women of reproductive age: Implications for unplanned pregnancies

Bianca Varney; Helga Zoéga; Malcolm Bjørn Gillies; Jonathan Brett; Sallie Anne Pearson; Alys Havard

doi:10.1111/bcp.15074

Prescription opioid use in Australian women of reproductive age: Implications for unplanned pregnancies

Bianca Varney^*, Helga Zoéga, Malcolm Bjørn Gillies, Jonathan Brett, Sallie Anne Pearson, Alys Havard

^*Corresponding author for this work

Faculty of Medicine

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

Aims: To examine trends in the prevalence and incidence of prescription opioid analgesic use in Australian women of reproductive age and to estimate the number of calendar months each year that women were dispensed opioids. Methods: We conducted a retrospective cross-sectional study involving women aged 15–44 years using pharmaceutical dispensing claims for a 10% random sample of Australians. For the period 2013–2020, we calculated the annual prevalence and incidence of opioid analgesic dispensing per 100 (%) population by opioid type and age group. We also estimated the total number of calendar months that women were dispensed at least 1 opioid each year. Results: The prevalence of opioid use decreased from 12.8% in 2013 to 11.3% in 2020, representing a relative decrease of 11.6% (95% confidence interval 10.7, 12.6%). The incidence of opioid use decreased from 10.3% in 2014 to 8.3% in 2020, representing a relative decrease of 18.6% (95% confidence interval 17.6, 19.6%). Codeine in combination products, followed by oxycodone and tramadol, were the most prevalent opioids. Prevalence and incidence of opioid use were lowest in women aged 15–19 years and the highest in women 30 years and above. Among all women dispensed opioids, 72.7% were dispensed an opioid in only 1 month each year. Conclusion: Prescription opioid use remains common, although decreasing, among women of reproductive age in Australia. However, it is reassuring that the majority of opioid use in this population is short term.

Original language	English
Journal	British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1111/bcp.15074
Publication status	Published - 10 Sept 2021

Bibliographical note

Funding text 1
We acknowledge Melisa Litchfield for her role in providing the data and gaining ethics approval. We further thank the Australian Government Services Australia for providing the data. This research is supported by the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Centre of Research Excellence in Medicines Intelligence (ID: 1196900). B.V. is supported by a UNSW Scientia Scholarship. H.Z. is supported by a UNSW Scientia Fellowship. A.H. is supported by a NSW Health Early-Mid Career Fellowship.
Funding text 2
The Centre for Big Data Research in Health, UNSW Sydney has received funding from AbbVie Australia to conduct post‐market surveillance research. AbbVie did not have any knowledge of, or involvement in, the current study.
Funding text 3
This research is supported by the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Centre of Research Excellence in Medicines Intelligence (ID: 1196900). B.V. is supported by a UNSW Scientia Scholarship. H.Z. is supported by a UNSW Scientia Fellowship. A.H. is supported by a NSW Health Early‐Mid Career Fellowship.

© 2021 British Pharmacological Society.

Other keywords

analgesics
Australia
drug utilization
opioids
reproductive age

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10.1111/bcp.15074

Cite this

@article{3c9dd987e81b4b49a097c004aa241780,

title = "Prescription opioid use in Australian women of reproductive age: Implications for unplanned pregnancies",

abstract = "Aims: To examine trends in the prevalence and incidence of prescription opioid analgesic use in Australian women of reproductive age and to estimate the number of calendar months each year that women were dispensed opioids. Methods: We conducted a retrospective cross-sectional study involving women aged 15–44 years using pharmaceutical dispensing claims for a 10% random sample of Australians. For the period 2013–2020, we calculated the annual prevalence and incidence of opioid analgesic dispensing per 100 (%) population by opioid type and age group. We also estimated the total number of calendar months that women were dispensed at least 1 opioid each year. Results: The prevalence of opioid use decreased from 12.8% in 2013 to 11.3% in 2020, representing a relative decrease of 11.6% (95% confidence interval 10.7, 12.6%). The incidence of opioid use decreased from 10.3% in 2014 to 8.3% in 2020, representing a relative decrease of 18.6% (95% confidence interval 17.6, 19.6%). Codeine in combination products, followed by oxycodone and tramadol, were the most prevalent opioids. Prevalence and incidence of opioid use were lowest in women aged 15–19 years and the highest in women 30 years and above. Among all women dispensed opioids, 72.7% were dispensed an opioid in only 1 month each year. Conclusion: Prescription opioid use remains common, although decreasing, among women of reproductive age in Australia. However, it is reassuring that the majority of opioid use in this population is short term.",

keywords = "analgesics, Australia, drug utilization, opioids, reproductive age",

author = "Bianca Varney and Helga Zo{\'e}ga and Gillies, {Malcolm Bj{\o}rn} and Jonathan Brett and Pearson, {Sallie Anne} and Alys Havard",

note = "Funding text 1 We acknowledge Melisa Litchfield for her role in providing the data and gaining ethics approval. We further thank the Australian Government Services Australia for providing the data. This research is supported by the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Centre of Research Excellence in Medicines Intelligence (ID: 1196900). B.V. is supported by a UNSW Scientia Scholarship. H.Z. is supported by a UNSW Scientia Fellowship. A.H. is supported by a NSW Health Early-Mid Career Fellowship. Funding text 2 The Centre for Big Data Research in Health, UNSW Sydney has received funding from AbbVie Australia to conduct post‐market surveillance research. AbbVie did not have any knowledge of, or involvement in, the current study. Funding text 3 This research is supported by the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Centre of Research Excellence in Medicines Intelligence (ID: 1196900). B.V. is supported by a UNSW Scientia Scholarship. H.Z. is supported by a UNSW Scientia Fellowship. A.H. is supported by a NSW Health Early‐Mid Career Fellowship. {\textcopyright} 2021 British Pharmacological Society.",

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month = sep,

day = "10",

doi = "10.1111/bcp.15074",

language = "English",

journal = "British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology",

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TY - JOUR

T1 - Prescription opioid use in Australian women of reproductive age

T2 - Implications for unplanned pregnancies

AU - Varney, Bianca

AU - Zoéga, Helga

AU - Gillies, Malcolm Bjørn

AU - Brett, Jonathan

AU - Pearson, Sallie Anne

AU - Havard, Alys

N1 - Funding text 1 We acknowledge Melisa Litchfield for her role in providing the data and gaining ethics approval. We further thank the Australian Government Services Australia for providing the data. This research is supported by the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Centre of Research Excellence in Medicines Intelligence (ID: 1196900). B.V. is supported by a UNSW Scientia Scholarship. H.Z. is supported by a UNSW Scientia Fellowship. A.H. is supported by a NSW Health Early-Mid Career Fellowship. Funding text 2 The Centre for Big Data Research in Health, UNSW Sydney has received funding from AbbVie Australia to conduct post‐market surveillance research. AbbVie did not have any knowledge of, or involvement in, the current study. Funding text 3 This research is supported by the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Centre of Research Excellence in Medicines Intelligence (ID: 1196900). B.V. is supported by a UNSW Scientia Scholarship. H.Z. is supported by a UNSW Scientia Fellowship. A.H. is supported by a NSW Health Early‐Mid Career Fellowship. © 2021 British Pharmacological Society.

PY - 2021/9/10

Y1 - 2021/9/10

N2 - Aims: To examine trends in the prevalence and incidence of prescription opioid analgesic use in Australian women of reproductive age and to estimate the number of calendar months each year that women were dispensed opioids. Methods: We conducted a retrospective cross-sectional study involving women aged 15–44 years using pharmaceutical dispensing claims for a 10% random sample of Australians. For the period 2013–2020, we calculated the annual prevalence and incidence of opioid analgesic dispensing per 100 (%) population by opioid type and age group. We also estimated the total number of calendar months that women were dispensed at least 1 opioid each year. Results: The prevalence of opioid use decreased from 12.8% in 2013 to 11.3% in 2020, representing a relative decrease of 11.6% (95% confidence interval 10.7, 12.6%). The incidence of opioid use decreased from 10.3% in 2014 to 8.3% in 2020, representing a relative decrease of 18.6% (95% confidence interval 17.6, 19.6%). Codeine in combination products, followed by oxycodone and tramadol, were the most prevalent opioids. Prevalence and incidence of opioid use were lowest in women aged 15–19 years and the highest in women 30 years and above. Among all women dispensed opioids, 72.7% were dispensed an opioid in only 1 month each year. Conclusion: Prescription opioid use remains common, although decreasing, among women of reproductive age in Australia. However, it is reassuring that the majority of opioid use in this population is short term.

AB - Aims: To examine trends in the prevalence and incidence of prescription opioid analgesic use in Australian women of reproductive age and to estimate the number of calendar months each year that women were dispensed opioids. Methods: We conducted a retrospective cross-sectional study involving women aged 15–44 years using pharmaceutical dispensing claims for a 10% random sample of Australians. For the period 2013–2020, we calculated the annual prevalence and incidence of opioid analgesic dispensing per 100 (%) population by opioid type and age group. We also estimated the total number of calendar months that women were dispensed at least 1 opioid each year. Results: The prevalence of opioid use decreased from 12.8% in 2013 to 11.3% in 2020, representing a relative decrease of 11.6% (95% confidence interval 10.7, 12.6%). The incidence of opioid use decreased from 10.3% in 2014 to 8.3% in 2020, representing a relative decrease of 18.6% (95% confidence interval 17.6, 19.6%). Codeine in combination products, followed by oxycodone and tramadol, were the most prevalent opioids. Prevalence and incidence of opioid use were lowest in women aged 15–19 years and the highest in women 30 years and above. Among all women dispensed opioids, 72.7% were dispensed an opioid in only 1 month each year. Conclusion: Prescription opioid use remains common, although decreasing, among women of reproductive age in Australia. However, it is reassuring that the majority of opioid use in this population is short term.

KW - analgesics

KW - Australia

KW - drug utilization

KW - opioids

KW - reproductive age

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JF - British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology

ER -

Prescription opioid use in Australian women of reproductive age: Implications for unplanned pregnancies

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Other keywords

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