Raw Data: Opioid Prescriptions in the United States

As we all know, opioids are overprescribed in the US and there’s been a big push for many years to cut back. So how are we doing? Are doctors limiting opioids too much? Here’s some data from a recent JAMA article, “Trends and Patterns of Geographic Variation in Opioid Prescribing Practices.” First, the total number of opioid prescriptions:

Opioid prescriptions are down 25 percent since their peak in 2012. That’s fairly substantial. However, although the average strength of each prescription (measured in the equivalent of milligrams of morphine) has stayed roughly constant, the average length of an opioid prescription has been getting steadily longer. This means that the reduction in prescriptions isn’t quite as large as it seems at first glance:

This is down 16 percent since the 2012 peak. The number of prescriptions for less than three days has declined while the number for more than 30 days has increased. Here’s the same information by state:

More than half of the decline in opioid prescriptions came in a single year, 2017, and we don’t have figures for 2018 yet. If it shows another steep drop, it will suggest that we really have cut way back on opioid prescriptions.

BEFORE YOU CLICK AWAY!

“Lying.” “Disgusting.” “Scum.” “Slime.” “Corrupt.” “Enemy of the people.” Donald Trump has always made clear what he thinks of journalists. And it’s plain now that his administration intends to do everything it can to stop journalists from reporting things they don’t like—which is most things that are true.

No one gets to tell Mother Jones what to publish or not publish, because no one owns our fiercely independent newsroom. But that also means we need to directly raise the resources it takes to keep our journalism alive. There’s only one way for that to happen, and it’s readers like you stepping up. Please help with a donation today if you can—even a few bucks will make a real difference. A monthly gift would be incredible.

payment methods

BEFORE YOU CLICK AWAY!

“Lying.” “Disgusting.” “Scum.” “Slime.” “Corrupt.” “Enemy of the people.” Donald Trump has always made clear what he thinks of journalists. And it’s plain now that his administration intends to do everything it can to stop journalists from reporting things they don’t like—which is most things that are true.

No one gets to tell Mother Jones what to publish or not publish, because no one owns our fiercely independent newsroom. But that also means we need to directly raise the resources it takes to keep our journalism alive. There’s only one way for that to happen, and it’s readers like you stepping up. Please help with a donation today if you can—even a few bucks will make a real difference. A monthly gift would be incredible.

payment methods

We Recommend

Latest

Sign up for our free newsletter

Subscribe to the Mother Jones Daily to have our top stories delivered directly to your inbox.

Get our award-winning magazine

Save big on a full year of investigations, ideas, and insights.

Subscribe

Support our journalism

Help Mother Jones' reporters dig deep with a tax-deductible donation.

Donate