The title says it all.
This is an observational cohort analysis of linked medical and pharmacy records for commercially insured patients across 14 health plans. Patients were identified by age 13-17 with, allegedly, new-onset atraumatic headache from claims database abstraction – limited, of course, by the nature of querying such a database. 8,373 patients were identified from their two year study period as meeting these criteria.
And 46% were prescribed opiates.
52% of those received more than one prescription for opiates, including 11% who received 5 or more prescriptions for opiates during the study period.
This study came about because the insurer contacted the American Academy of Pediatrics with a query regarding the appropriate frequency of use of opiates for headache. The answer ought to be a tiny fraction, as third-line or rescue therapy.
Considering all the problems this country has with prescription opiate abuse, it is maddening to see physicians inoculating such a vulnerable population with medication whose harms almost certainly outweigh the benefits.
“Opioid Use Among Adolescent Patients Treated for Headache”
http://www.jahonline.org/article/S1054-139X(13)00834-3/abstract
It is difficult to understand without data about the headache nature, frequency (most important) , response to other analgesics or triptan, number of days on opiate.
But it sounds a lot of opiates indeed.