Connecticut was among 11 states posting a 20 to 30 percent reduction in opioid prescriptions for injured workers between 2010-2012 and 2013-2015 study periods, according to a results of a study released this week by the Cambridge, Mass.-based Workers Compensation Research Institute (WCRI).
The study, Interstate Variations in Use of Opioids, 4th Edition, examines interstate variations and trends in the use of opioids and prescribing patterns of pain medications across 26 state workers’ compensation systems, including Connecticut. The study observed prescription utilization over an average two-year period for claims with injuries arising from Oct. 1, 2009, to Sept. 30, 2013. The study comprises more than 430,000 nonsurgical workers’ compensation claims and nearly 2.3 million prescriptions, including opioid and nonopioid pain relievers, associated with these claims from the 26 states, according to WCRI.
Between the study periods of 2010-2012 and 2013-2015, the study found a 26 percent reduction in the average amount of opioids per claim in Connecticut and a 20 percent reduction in the median amount.
The report notes that opioid-utilization declines in some states, including Connecticut, coincided with state initiatives and legislation to control opioid prescriptions. Connecticut, for example, in 2013 required all prescribers to register with the state Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (PDMP) and was among states adopting chronic pain treatment guidelines over the study period. In Oct. 2015, Connecticut strengthened its PDMP by requiring prescribers to check the state PDMP before writing the first prescription and every 90 days when prescribing continues, the report said, noting the state in July 2016 also began limiting first opioid prescriptions to a seven-day supply.
The report also noted the percentage of pain medication prescriptions for nonopioid medications increased over the study period, with Connecticut among states posting increases of 5 to 8 percentage points.
