Opioids and the Otolaryngologist: An Ambulatory Assessment

Abstract

Objectives: To recognize current opioid prescription patterns in otolaryngology and determine changes in rates of outpatient opioid prescribing over time. Study Design: Cross-sectional analysis of national survey database. Setting: Ambulatory care settings in the United States. Subjects and Methods: The National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey from 2006 to 2013 was analyzed for outpatient otolaryngology visits. The rate of opioid medication prescribing was determined with patient and visit characteristics associated with an opioid prescription, including corresponding diagnoses. Calendar trends for the rate of opioid prescribing were determined and compared biennially. Results: Among 19.2 ± 1.7 million otolaryngology visits annually (raw N = 11,905), there were 728,000 ± 96,000 visits with an opioid prescription (3.8% ± 0.4%). Adults were more likely than children to receive a narcotic (4.3% vs 1.9%, P