INVESTIGATING THE CHARACTERISTICS ASSOCIATED WITH PRESCRIBED OPIOID USE IN U.S. ADULTS WITH LONG COVID
Author(s)
David R. Axon, PhD;
James L Winkle College of Pharmacy, University of Cincinnati, Chair & Professor, Cincinnati, OH, USA
James L Winkle College of Pharmacy, University of Cincinnati, Chair & Professor, Cincinnati, OH, USA
OBJECTIVES: There is currently no consensus on how to best manage pain in individuals with Long COVID. Early evidence suggests that some patients are being treated with opioids, yet the characteristics associated with prescribed opioid use in United States (U.S.) adults with Long COVID are unknown. This study aimed to investigate the characteristics associated with prescribed opioid use in this population.
METHODS: This cross-sectional analysis included U.S. adults with Long COVID in 2023, using data from the 2023 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey and its prescribed medication records. Associations between various independent variables and the dependent variable (prescribed opioid use versus no opioid use) were examined using a multivariable logistic regression model developed in SAS. Independent variables included age, sex, race, ethnicity, marriage, education, employment, income, insurance, chronic conditions, health status, mental health status, functional limitations, pain interference, exercise, smoking status, and COVID-19 vaccination. The data structure was preserved, weighting was conducted for national representativeness, and a significance threshold of 0.05 was used.
RESULTS: A total of 877 U.S. adults with Long COVID were included (weighted n=21,773,754). Of these, 144 (weighted n=3,204,534) were prescribed an opioid while 733 (weighted n=18,569,220) were not. Having low versus middle/high income (adjusted odds ratio [AOR]=1.8, 95% confidence interval [C.I.]=1.0, 3.0), having quite a bit/extreme versus no pain interference (AOR=4.3, 95% C.I.=2.1, 8.7), and being non-smokers versus smokers (AOR=2.7, 95% C.I.=1.2, 6.2) were each associated with increased odds of prescribed opioid use.
CONCLUSIONS: The characteristics associated with prescribed opioid use among U.S. adults with Long COVID in this study contribute to our understanding of managing Long COVID. Further work is needed to establish if opioids are being used for Long COVID or another condition, to determine the type(s) and dose(s) of opioid(s) used, and to investigate if opioids are the most appropriate option for Long COVID.
METHODS: This cross-sectional analysis included U.S. adults with Long COVID in 2023, using data from the 2023 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey and its prescribed medication records. Associations between various independent variables and the dependent variable (prescribed opioid use versus no opioid use) were examined using a multivariable logistic regression model developed in SAS. Independent variables included age, sex, race, ethnicity, marriage, education, employment, income, insurance, chronic conditions, health status, mental health status, functional limitations, pain interference, exercise, smoking status, and COVID-19 vaccination. The data structure was preserved, weighting was conducted for national representativeness, and a significance threshold of 0.05 was used.
RESULTS: A total of 877 U.S. adults with Long COVID were included (weighted n=21,773,754). Of these, 144 (weighted n=3,204,534) were prescribed an opioid while 733 (weighted n=18,569,220) were not. Having low versus middle/high income (adjusted odds ratio [AOR]=1.8, 95% confidence interval [C.I.]=1.0, 3.0), having quite a bit/extreme versus no pain interference (AOR=4.3, 95% C.I.=2.1, 8.7), and being non-smokers versus smokers (AOR=2.7, 95% C.I.=1.2, 6.2) were each associated with increased odds of prescribed opioid use.
CONCLUSIONS: The characteristics associated with prescribed opioid use among U.S. adults with Long COVID in this study contribute to our understanding of managing Long COVID. Further work is needed to establish if opioids are being used for Long COVID or another condition, to determine the type(s) and dose(s) of opioid(s) used, and to investigate if opioids are the most appropriate option for Long COVID.
Conference/Value in Health Info
2026-05, ISPOR 2026, Philadelphia, PA, USA
Value in Health, Volume 29, Issue S6
Code
EPH19
Topic
Epidemiology & Public Health
Disease
STA: Multiple/Other Specialized Treatments