Who is at most risk of opioid deaths?

A new study of 13,000 people who died of an opioid overdose found that more than half had been diagnosed with chronic pain; many had psychiatric disorders.

Approximately one-third of those who died had been diagnosed with a drug use disorder in the prior year. However, fewer than one in twenty had been diagnosed with opioid use disorder in the last month. “Because clinical diagnoses generally indicate treatment, this service pattern suggests that dropout from drug treatment is common before fatal opioid overdose. Improving treatment retention with contingency management or other effective behavioral interventions might help lower the risk of fatal overdose in these patients,” said Dr. Olfson.

Source: Largest study of opioid deaths reveals who is at most risk