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Alan G. White, PhD1, Howard Birnbaum, PhD1, Milena Mareva1, Maham Daher1, Nathaniel Katz, MD2, Susan Vallow3, Jeff Schein4, Dilesh Doshi5, and Vanja Sikirica4. (1) Analysis Group, 111 Huntington Avenue, 10th Floor, Boston, MA 02199, 617-425-8217, awhite@analysisgroup.com, (2) Center for Opioid Research, Massachusettes General Hospital, 320 Needham Street Suite 100, Newton, MA 02464, (3) Janssen Medical Affairs, L.L.C., 1125 Trenton-Harbourton Road, Titusville, NJ 08560, (4) Janssen Medical Affairs, L.L.C, 1125 Trenton-Harbourton Road, Titusville, NJ 08560, (5) Janssen Medical Affairs, LLC, 11539 Miro Circle, 10th Floor, San Diego, CA 92131
PURPOSE: This study compares the prevalence of selected injury conditions, medical and drug utilization, and costs of opioid abusers (“abusers”) to a matched control.
METHODS: A claims database of privately insured patients (covering 2,000,000 lives, 1999-2002) was used to identify patients aged 12-64 with claims associated with ICD-9 codes for opioid abuse (304.0, 304.7, 305.5, and 965.0). A control group of non-abusers matched by age, gender and region was also selected. Annual per patient healthcare costs were measured in 2003 dollars from a private payer's perspective.
RESULTS: The prevalence of motor vehicle traffic accidents and trauma were 6.0- and 2.4-fold higher for abusers compared with controls, respectively (p<0.01). Abusers had higher prevalence rates of painful conditions; musculoskeletal pain and low back pain were 5.7- and 5.5-fold higher for abusers compared to controls, respectively (p<0.01) Almost 60 percent of abusers had claims for opioids, compared to approximately 20 percent for controls. Utilization rates of emergency rooms for abusers were 4.0-fold higher than controls (p<0.01).
Mean annual healthcare costs for opioid abusers were over 8-fold higher those of controls ($15,884 compared to $1,830, p<0.01); trauma costs were over 4-fold higher ($409 vs. $87, p<0.01).
CONCLUSIONS: Study results suggest that higher costs of opioid abuse are partly driven by higher prevalence rates of certain injuries; these have a public health safety impact and result in increased costs to payers. Future research will investigate the temporal and causation patterns of certain injuries as they relate to opioid abuse.
Learning Objectives:
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I have a significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.
Relationship: ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF FUNDING: Research supported by Janssen Medical Affairs, L.L.C., Titusville, NJ, USA.