Prescription opioid analgesic use among adults: United States, 1999-2012

Abstract

Prescription opioid analgesics are used to treat pain from surgery, injury, and health conditions such as cancer. Opioid dependence and opioid-related deaths are growing public health problems. Opioid analgesic sales (in kilograms per 10,000) quadrupled from 1999 to 2010 (1), and from 1999 to 2012, opioid-related deaths (per 100,000) more than tripled (2). During 1999–2002, 4.2% of persons aged 18 and over used a prescription opioid analgesic in the past 30 days (3). This report provides updated estimates and trends in prescription opioid analgesic use among adults aged 20 and over, overall and by selected subgroups.