"Dr. Melissa Pielech's recent publication, titled "Receipt of Multiple Outpatient Opioid Prescriptions Is Associated With Increased Risk of Adverse Outcomes in Youth: Opioid Prescribing Trends, Individual Characteristics, and Outcomes From 2005 to 2016," was selected as an Editor's Choice article in PAIN the journal.

This study utilized medical records to examine rates of opioid prescriptions (N = 71,647)  to children and adolescents in New Mexico from 2005-2016 (N=42,020) and to quantify longitudinal adverse outcomes. Key findings are that, (1) opioid prescribing to youth in New Mexico is occurring with greater frequency than national prescribing trends; (2) significantly increased risk of adverse outcomes was observed in patients receiving multiple opioid prescriptions, & in patients who were older, minority race, received their first prescription in an outpatient clinic, & publicly insured or uninsured; and (3) there was an association between age at time of prescription and increased risk of adverse outcomes - a finding with direct clinical implications for prescribing practices.

For free access to the full article, click here: https://journals.lww.com/pain/Fulltext/2020/06000/Receipt_of_multiple_outpatient_opioid.18.aspx "