Odds of opioid overdose up with household opioid availability

Household opioid availability is associated with increased odds of opioid overdose for others in the household, according to a study published online March 17 in JAMA Network Open.

Michelle A. Hendricks, Ph.D., from Comagine Health in Portland, Oregon, and colleagues examined the role of household opioid availability and other household prescription factors associated with individuals' odds of fatal or nonfatal opioid overdose in a retrospective cohort study conducted on adults in the Oregon Comprehensive Opioid Risk Registry database. The sample included 1,691,856 individuals in 1,187,140 households.

The researchers found that during the study period, there were 28,747 opioid overdose events (0.0526 per 100 person-months). The odds of opioid-related overdose increased by 60 percent when another household member had an opioid fill in the past six months relative to individuals without personal or household opioid fills (adjusted odds ratio, 1.60); the highest odds of opioid-related overdose were seen when both the individual and another household member had opioid fills in the previous six months (adjusted odds ratio, 6.25).

"Having recent opioid fills among household members is associated with increased odds of opioid overdose for individuals who live in the same household," the authors write. "These findings underscore the importance of educating patients about the risks of keeping opioids in the household."

Two authors disclosed financial ties to the biopharmaceutical industry.