Understanding the rise in overdose deaths involving opioids and non-opioid prescription drugs in the United States

Original research
by
Powell, David, Evan D. Peet & Rosalie Liccardo Pacula

Release Date

2023

Geography

USA

Language of Resource

English

Full Text Available

No

Open Access / OK to Reproduce

No

Peer Reviewed

Yes

Objective

We examine if the shift to the illicit market after the reformulation of OxyContin in the U.S. in 2010 also led to a rise in polysubstance overdose deaths involving non-opioid prescription drugs, including gabapentinoids and “Z-drugs” and, separately, benzodiazepines.

Findings/Key points

Exposure to reformulation predicted growth in overdose deaths involving gabapentinoids and Z-drugs. There is less evidence that it predicted growth in overdose deaths involving benzodiazepines. However, for all substances, there is strong evidence that pre-reformulation OxyContin misuse rates predicted post-reformulation growth in overdose deaths concurrently involving synthetic opioids.

doi.org

Keywords

Overdose
Mortality
Policy/Regulatory
Outcomes