Patterns of opioid use in older people diagnosed with cancer in New South Wales, Australia.

Tervonen, HE; Schaffer, AL; Luckett, T; Phillips, J; Litchfield, M; Todd, A; Pearson, S-A

Patterns of opioid use in older people diagnosed with cancer in New South Wales, Australia.

Tervonen, HE Schaffer, AL Luckett, T

Phillips, J

Litchfield, M Todd, A Pearson, S-A

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Publisher:: John Wiley and Sons
Publication Type:: Journal Article
Citation:: Pharmacoepidemiology and Drug Safety, 2021, 30, (3), pp. 360-370
Issue Date:: 2021-03

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Field	Value	Language
dc.contributor.author	Tervonen, HE
dc.contributor.author	Schaffer, AL
dc.contributor.author	Luckett, T https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6121-5409
dc.contributor.author	Phillips, J https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3691-8230
dc.contributor.author	Litchfield, M
dc.contributor.author	Todd, A
dc.contributor.author	Pearson, S-A
dc.date.accessioned	2021-12-17T01:38:00Z
dc.date.available	2020-06-29
dc.date.available	2021-12-17T01:38:00Z
dc.date.issued	2021-03
dc.identifier.citation	Pharmacoepidemiology and Drug Safety, 2021, 30, (3), pp. 360-370
dc.identifier.issn	1053-8569
dc.identifier.issn	1099-1557
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10453/152383
dc.description.abstract	Purpose Opioids provide effective analgesia for most cancer patients, but little is known about individual-level opioid use after cancer diagnosis. We examined the patterns of and factors associated with opioid use in older people diagnosed with cancer. Methods We used the Department of Veterans' Affairs (DVA) client data linked with the New South Wales (NSW) Cancer Registry and the Repatriation Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme data. We included people aged ≥65 years diagnosed with cancer in NSW, Australia in 2005 to 2015. We examined patterns of opioid use in the 12 months after cancer diagnosis and used cause-specific hazards models to examine factors associated with opioid use. Results Of 13 527 people diagnosed with cancer, 51% were dispensed opioids after their diagnosis. We observed the highest proportions of use in people diagnosed with pancreas, liver, or lung cancers. Opioid use was associated with female sex, younger age, more advanced degree of cancer spread, opioid use before cancer diagnosis, and multimorbidity. Forty-four percentages of all people dispensed opioids had a history of opioid use in the 12 months before their cancer diagnosis; these people had higher median number of different opioids and opioid dispensings, and a shorter time to first opioid dispensing than opioid-naive people. Conclusion Our study suggests that many older cancer patients were dispensed opioids before their cancer diagnosis. Previously opioid-treated people had more intense opioid use patterns after diagnosis than opioid-naïve people. Acknowledging the history of opioid use is important as it may complicate pain treatment in clinical practice.
dc.format	Print-Electronic
dc.language	eng
dc.publisher	John Wiley and Sons
dc.relation	http://purl.org/au-research/grants/nhmrc/1060407
dc.relation.ispartof	Pharmacoepidemiology and Drug Safety
dc.relation.isbasedon	10.1002/pds.5081
dc.rights	info:eu-repo/semantics/closedAccess
dc.subject	1115 Pharmacology and Pharmaceutical Sciences, 1117 Public Health and Health Services
dc.subject.classification	Pharmacology & Pharmacy
dc.subject.mesh	Aged
dc.subject.mesh	Analgesics, Opioid
dc.subject.mesh	Australia
dc.subject.mesh	Drug Prescriptions
dc.subject.mesh	Female
dc.subject.mesh	Humans
dc.subject.mesh	Neoplasms
dc.subject.mesh	New South Wales
dc.subject.mesh	Practice Patterns, Physicians'
dc.subject.mesh	Humans
dc.subject.mesh	Neoplasms
dc.subject.mesh	Analgesics, Opioid
dc.subject.mesh	Aged
dc.subject.mesh	Australia
dc.subject.mesh	New South Wales
dc.subject.mesh	Female
dc.subject.mesh	Drug Prescriptions
dc.subject.mesh	Practice Patterns, Physicians'
dc.subject.mesh	Aged
dc.subject.mesh	Analgesics, Opioid
dc.subject.mesh	Australia
dc.subject.mesh	Drug Prescriptions
dc.subject.mesh	Female
dc.subject.mesh	Humans
dc.subject.mesh	Neoplasms
dc.subject.mesh	New South Wales
dc.subject.mesh	Practice Patterns, Physicians'
dc.title	Patterns of opioid use in older people diagnosed with cancer in New South Wales, Australia.
dc.type	Journal Article
utslib.citation.volume	30
utslib.location.activity	England
utslib.for	1115 Pharmacology and Pharmaceutical Sciences
utslib.for	1117 Public Health and Health Services
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Health
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Strength - CHT - Health Technologies
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Health/IMPACCT
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Centre for Health Technologies (CHT)
utslib.copyright.status	closed_access	*
pubs.consider-herdc	false
dc.date.updated	2021-12-17T01:37:59Z
pubs.issue	3
pubs.publication-status	Published
pubs.volume	30
utslib.citation.issue	3

Abstract:

Purpose Opioids provide effective analgesia for most cancer patients, but little is known about individual-level opioid use after cancer diagnosis. We examined the patterns of and factors associated with opioid use in older people diagnosed with cancer. Methods We used the Department of Veterans' Affairs (DVA) client data linked with the New South Wales (NSW) Cancer Registry and the Repatriation Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme data. We included people aged ≥65 years diagnosed with cancer in NSW, Australia in 2005 to 2015. We examined patterns of opioid use in the 12 months after cancer diagnosis and used cause-specific hazards models to examine factors associated with opioid use. Results Of 13 527 people diagnosed with cancer, 51% were dispensed opioids after their diagnosis. We observed the highest proportions of use in people diagnosed with pancreas, liver, or lung cancers. Opioid use was associated with female sex, younger age, more advanced degree of cancer spread, opioid use before cancer diagnosis, and multimorbidity. Forty-four percentages of all people dispensed opioids had a history of opioid use in the 12 months before their cancer diagnosis; these people had higher median number of different opioids and opioid dispensings, and a shorter time to first opioid dispensing than opioid-naive people. Conclusion Our study suggests that many older cancer patients were dispensed opioids before their cancer diagnosis. Previously opioid-treated people had more intense opioid use patterns after diagnosis than opioid-naïve people. Acknowledging the history of opioid use is important as it may complicate pain treatment in clinical practice.

Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item:

http://hdl.handle.net/10453/152383