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Master of Public Health

Comparative out-of-hospital mortality of long-acting opioids prescribed for non-cancer pain: A retrospective cohort study.

AUTHORS

Chung CP , Dupont WD , Murray KT , Hall K , Michael Stein C , Ray WA , . Pharmacoepidemiology and drug safety. 2018 7 12; ().
  • NIHMSID: 9208369

ABSTRACT

Despite significant growth of opioid prescriptions, only limited data are available regarding the comparative safety of long-acting opioids for chronic non-cancer pain. Recent data suggest that transdermal fentanyl and oxycodone CR may have greater toxicity than morphine SR in patients with non-cancer pain. Thus, we compared the risk of out-of-hospital deaths in patients with non-cancer pain filling prescriptions for transdermal fentanyl or oxycodone CR with that for morphine SR.

Despite significant growth of opioid prescriptions, only limited data are available regarding the comparative safety of long-acting opioids for chronic non-cancer pain. Recent data suggest that transdermal fentanyl and oxycodone CR may have greater toxicity than morphine SR in patients with non-cancer pain. Thus, we compared the risk of out-of-hospital deaths in patients with non-cancer pain filling prescriptions for transdermal fentanyl or oxycodone CR with that for morphine SR.

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