CDC: 10.7 percent of U.S. adults used prescription pain meds in 2015 to 2018

(HealthDay)—In 2015 to 2018, 10.7 percent of U.S. adults aged 20 years or older used one or more prescription pain medications in the previous 30 days, according to a June data brief published by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention National Center for Health Statistics.

Craig M. Hales, M.D., M.P.H., from the National Center for Health Statistics in Hyattsville, Maryland, and colleagues used data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey to describe the proportion of adults who used one or more prescription pain medications (opioid or nonopioid) in the previous 30 days in 2015 to 2018.

The researchers found that 10.7 percent of U.S. adults aged 20 years and older used one or more prescription pain medications in the previous 30 days in 2015 to 2018, with 5.7 percent using one or more prescription opioids. Women had higher prescription opioid use than men, and use increased with age. Overall, 5.0 percent of adults used nonopioid prescription pain medications without prescription opioids in the previous 30 days in 2015 to 2018; non-Hispanic Asian adults had the lowest use.

There was no significant change in the use of prescription opioids from 2009-2010 to 2017-2018; use of nonopioid prescription pain medications without prescription opioids increased, from 4.3 to 5.7 percent. Use of prescription opioids remained the same from 2015-2016 to 2017-2018 (5.7 percent), while an increase was seen in use of nonopioid prescription pain medications, without prescription opioids (4.4 to 5.7 percent).

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