Productivity Loss Among Opioid and Benzodiazepine Users in the United States: A Medical Expenditure Panel Survey From 2010 to 2019.

Abstract

The aim of the study is to estimate the association between productivity losses and the use of prescription opioids and benzodiazepines among employed US adults with painful conditions. Using Medical Expenditures Panel Survey (2010-2019), we used two-part (logistic regression and generalized linear model with zero-truncated negative binomial link) model to compare missed workdays due to illness or injury among employed adults with a painful condition. Of the eligible sample of 57,413 working US individuals, 14.65% were prescription opioid users, 2.95% were benzodiazepine users, and 1.59% were both opioid and benzodiazepine users. The predicted missed workdays were 5.75 (95% Confidence Limit [CL]: 5.58-5.92) days for benzodiazepine users, 13.06 (95% CL: 12.88-13.23) days among opioid users, and 15.18 (95% CL: 14.46-15.90) days for opioid and benzodiazepine concomitant users. Concomitant use of prescription opioids and benzodiazepines was significantly associated with having more missed workdays among employed adults with documented painful conditions.