Distribution of Opioid Meds Lower in Majority Non-White Communities
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FRIDAY, Jan. 31, 2025 -- Distribution of prescribed opioid analgesics is lower in majority non-White versus majority White communities across all levels of socioeconomic deprivation, according to a study published online Jan. 21 in PAIN.
Ju-Chen Hu, Ph.D., from Weill Cornell Medicine in New York City, and colleagues examined quarterly per-capita distribution of oxycodone, hydrocodone, and morphine (in oral morphine milligram equivalents [MMEs]) by communities' racial/ethnic and socioeconomic profiles using 2011 to 2021 national data. Communities were classified as majority White versus majority non-White.
The researchers found that across all levels of socioeconomic deprivation, majority non-White communities had at least 40 percent lower mean adjusted per-capita distribution than majority White communities. The adjusted mean per-capita distribution was 46.0 versus 82.8 MMEs for majority non-White versus majority White communities among the least deprived communities. The corresponding distribution was 78.0 versus 134.4 MMEs among the most deprived communities. The lower distribution in majority non-White communities was significant across all levels of socioeconomic deprivation and all study years. Compared with majority White communities, in majority non-White communities, the availability of commonly prescribed opioid analgesics was substantially lower across all levels of socioeconomic deprivation.
"Our findings highlight the need for careful consideration and adjustments to current policies to mitigate adverse consequences of further restricted access to effective pain management for patients in racially and ethnically minoritized communities for whom opioid therapies are appropriate," the authors write.
One author disclosed ties to the publishing and health technology industries; a second author disclosed ties to the pharmaceutical industry.
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