Community Health and Preventive Medicine Commons^™

Screening The “Invisible Population” Of Older Adult Patients For Prescription Pain Reliever Non-Medical Use And Use Disorders, Alyssa M. Falise, Vinita Sharma, Carolin C. Hoeflich, Catalina Lopez-Quintero, Catherine W. Striley

Public Health and Population Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

Background: In the United States, the number of older adults reporting non-medical use of prescription pain relievers (NMUPPR) between 2015 and 2019 has remained constant, while those meeting criteria for opioid use disorders (OUDs) between 2013 and 2018 increased three-fold. These rates are expected to increase due to increased life expectancy among this population coupled with higher rates of substance use. However, they have consistently lower screening rates for problematic prescription pain reliever use, compared to younger cohorts. Objectives: This commentary reviewed trends in older adult NMUPPR and OUDs and reviewed several available screening tools. We then considered …