Short-Term and Long-Term Opioid Prescribing by Specialty, 2010 to 2024 - Takeaways - MDSpire

Short-Term and Long-Term Opioid Prescribing by Specialty, 2010 to 2024

  • By

  • Michele J. Buonora

  • Rebekah Heckmann

  • Joanna L. Starrels

  • Mitra Ahadpour

  • Sara A. Hevesi

  • Joseph S. Ross

  • Molly M. Jeffery

  • July 7, 2026

  • 0 min

Share

  • 1

    Opioid prescribing in the US has decreased for over a decade, particularly since 2016, in response to the opioid overdose epidemic.

  • 2

    The decrease in opioid prescriptions is attributed to policies aimed at reducing unnecessary prescribing and preventing opioid-related harms.

  • 3

    The study analyzes opioid prescribing trends from 2010 to 2024, focusing on volume, daily dose, and duration across medical specialties.

  • 4

    Opioid use episodes are classified as short-term or long-term based on the length and number of consecutive active opioid fills.

  • 5

    The study includes adult enrollees with continuous medical and prescription coverage, using data from the OptumLabs Data Warehouse.

Original Source(s)

Short-Term and Long-Term Opioid Prescribing by Specialty, 2010 to 2024

  • by Michele J. Buonora, Rebekah Heckmann, Joanna L. Starrels, Mitra Ahadpour, Sara A. Hevesi, Joseph S. Ross, Molly M. Jeffery

  • July 7, 2026

Related Content

Identifying risk individuals for heart failure diagnosis within two years in the adult population in southern Sweden using gender, age, multimorbidity level, and socioeconomic status

Obamacare rolls shrank dramatically in many states over the past year, new federal data shows

Impact of delivery mode on diastasis recti abdominis, pelvic floor muscle function, and quality of life in early postpartum women: a cross-sectional study