Abuse-deterrent extended-release oxycodone and risk of opioid-related harm.

Abstract

To establish and quantify the association between abuse-deterrent formulation (ADF) oxycodone and 1-year risk of opioid-related harm. Propensity score-matched cohort study of electronic medical records for years 2014-18, with patients followed up for 1year after their index health-care visit. More than 70 million patients from 56 US health-care organizations. Patients aged 18-64years at index health-care visit with any indication for an oral opioid analgesic, with no past 12-month history of oral oxycodone use or substance use disorder, and who were alive at the end of the 1-year follow-up (new episode of prescription oral ADF oxycodone [OxyContin], n=45 045; new episode of non-ADF oxycodone opioid preparation, n=1 377 359). International Classification of Diseases diagnoses of any opioid-related disorder or non-fatal opioid poisoning within 1year of the index health-care visit. Pooled odds ratios (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (95% CI). After propensity score matching, 89 802 patients with a mean age of 44 [standard deviation (SD)=11] years (62% women, 68% white) were included. During 1-year follow-up, 1445 diagnoses of opioid use disorder or opioid poisoning occurred in the ADF oxycodone cohort (34.8/1000 person-years) and 765 occurred in the non-ADF oxycodone cohort (18.2/1000 person-years). The odds of opioid-related adverse outcomes were increased in the ADF oxycodone cohort compared with the non-ADF oxycodone opioid cohort, including for opioid use disorders (OR=2.02; 95% CI=1.83, 2.23) and opioid poisoning (OR=1.64 95% CI=1.35, 1.99). Patients with a new prescription of abuse-deterrent formulation oxycodone may be at increased risk of opioid-related harm.