USC Press Room, September 8, 2021.
One in 10 adults were at risk of overdose, with older Americans relying on high doses of opioids more than younger adults, researchers found in a national sample of prescription claims.
Recent research led by USC School of Pharmacy Associate Professor Dima M. Qato aims to fill that knowledge gap. The findings—published in Pharmacoepidemiology and Drug Safety — revealed that, although high risk prescription opioid use has declined, nearly 1 in 10 adults were taking opioids that puts them at increased risk from an opioid overdose in 2016.
“These findings indicate that many people are at risk of an opioid overdose and underscore the importance of strengthening the implementation of overdose prevention particularly naloxone access laws, and harm reduction strategies,” says Qato, a senior fellow at the USC Schaeffer Center and the Hygeia Centennial Chair and Associate Professor and Director of the Program on Medicines and Public Health at the USC School of Pharmacy.