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High-Risk Opioid Prescribing Associated with Postoperative New Persistent Opioid Use in Adolescents and Young Adults

  • High-risk opioid prescribing practices increased from 34.9% to 43.5% in opioid-naïve patients aged 13-21 from 2008 to 2016; the largest increase was in co-prescribed benzodiazepines (24.1% to 33.4%).
  • High-risk opioid prescribing practices, particularly receiving prescriptions from multiple prescribers across specialties, were associated with a significant increase in adolescent and young adult patients’ risk of persistent opioid use.
  • Most opioid prescriptions to patients with persistent use beyond the postoperative period were from non-surgical prescribers (79.6%).


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Vargas GM; Gunaseelan V; Upp L; Deans KJ; Minneci PC; Gadepalli SK; Englesbe MJ; Waljee JF; Harbaugh CM. High-Risk Opioid Prescribing Associated with Postoperative New Persistent Opioid Use in Adolescents and Young Adults. Annals of Surgery. Published online 27 August 2021. DOI: 10.1097/SLA.0000000000005193