Causes and consequences of the opioid epidemic in the Netherlands: a population-based cohort study

Over the past decade opioid use has risen globally. The causes and consequences of this increase, especially in Europe, are poorly understood. We conducted a population-based cohort study using national statistics on analgesics prescriptions, opioid poisoning hospital admissions and deaths in the Ne...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Scientific reports 2020-09, Vol.10 (1), p.15309, Article 15309
Main Authors: Bedene, Ajda, van Dorp, Eveline L. A., Faquih, Tariq, Cannegieter, Suzanna C., Mook-Kanamori, Dennis O., Niesters, Marieke, van Velzen, Monique, Gademan, Maaike G. J., Rosendaal, Frits R., Bouvy, Marcel L., Dahan, Albert, Lijfering, Willem M.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
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Adult
Analgesics, Opioid - adverse effects
Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal - adverse effects
Cohort Studies
Drug Prescriptions
Female
Hospitalization
Humanities and Social Sciences
Humans
Incidence
Male
Middle Aged
multidisciplinary
Netherlands - epidemiology
Opioid Epidemic
Pain - drug therapy
Prevalence
Science
Science (multidisciplinary)
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Summary:Over the past decade opioid use has risen globally. The causes and consequences of this increase, especially in Europe, are poorly understood. We conducted a population-based cohort study using national statistics on analgesics prescriptions, opioid poisoning hospital admissions and deaths in the Netherlands from 2013 to 2017. Pain prevalence and severity was determined by using results of 2014–2017 Health Interview Surveys. Between 2013 and 2017 the proportion of residents receiving opioid prescription rose from 4.9% to 6.0%, and the proportion of those receiving NSAIDs decreased from 15.5% to 13.7%. Self-reported pain prevalence and severity remained constant, as 44.7% of 5,119 respondents reported no pain-impeded activities-of-daily-living in 2014 (aRR, 1.00 [95% CI, 0.95–1.06] in 2017 vs 2014). Over the observation period, the incidence of opioid poisoning hospitalization and death increased from 8.6 to 12.9 per 100,000 inhabitants. The incidence of severe outcomes related to opioid use increased, as 3.9% of 1,343 hospitalized for opioid poisoning died in 2013 and 4.6% of 2,055 in 2017. We demonstrated that NSAIDs prescription decreased and opioid prescription increased in the Netherlands since 2013, without an increase in pain prevalence and severity. Consequently, the incidence of severe outcomes related to opioids increased.
ISSN:2045-2322
2045-2322
DOI:10.1038/s41598-020-72084-6