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The increase in opioid-related deaths and opioid misuse has focused attention on modifiable components to this public health crisis. While providers attempt to strike a balance between the need to treat pain and the risks associated with opioid analgesics, it would help to be able to identify patients at high risk for opioid misuse.
Researchers conducted a meta-analysis to determine risk factors for misuse among patients whose first exposure to opioids was through a prescription. The authors defined misuse as aberrant drug behavior, opioid abuse, or opioid addiction or dependence. The meta-analysis included 43 studies involving roughly 31 million patients and assessed 33 patient-related factors. Four factors were associated with opioid misus…