Opioid Prescription in Family and Risk for Youth Opioid Overdose

Having a family member with a recent opioid prescription was associated with doubled risk for youth opioid overdose.

Despite efforts to reduce opioid access, young adults and teens continue to struggle with opioid abuse and overdose. To determine how exposure to a family member's prescription to opioids affects the risk for youth opioid overdose, investigators retrospectively examined data from 72,040 adolescents and young adults (age, 11–26 years; mean, 19 years) in 45,145 families enrolled in a large healthcare system. Mean follow-up was 3.7 years. Results were as follows:

More than 26,000 youth were prescribed an opioid, and over 47,000 had a family member who was recently (within the past month) prescribed an opioid.
One hundred and three prescription opioid overdoses occurred among youth (29/100,000 person-years), including 14 fatalities.
In adjusted an…

Reviewing Author

F. Bruder Stapleton, MD

Disclosures

Consultant/Advisory BoardCareer Physician

Editorial BoardsUpToDate

Leadership Positions in Professional SocietiesAmerican Society of Pediatric Nephrology Foundation (Chair)

F. Bruder Stapleton, MD

Disclosures

Consultant/Advisory BoardCareer Physician

Editorial BoardsUpToDate

Leadership Positions in Professional SocietiesAmerican Society of Pediatric Nephrology Foundation (Chair)

Opioid Prescription in Family and Risk for Youth Opioid Overdose

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Reviewing Author