Rates of Opioid Prescriptions Obtained After Mohs Surgery: A Claims Database Analysis From 2009 to 2020. 2021

Surya A Veerabagu, and Brian Cheng, and Sonia Wang, and Jeremy R Etzkorn, and Austin S Kilaru, and Megan H Noe, and Christopher J Miller, and Joseph F Sobanko, and Thuzar M Shin, and H William Higgins, and Stacy L McMurray, and Aimee E Krausz, and Joanna L Walker, and Cerrene N Giordano
Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, Louisiana.

OBJECTIVE To curtail the opioid epidemic, physicians have been advised to limit opioid prescriptions. OBJECTIVE To characterize the frequency and changes over time (2009-2020) of opioid prescriptions following Mohs micrographic surgery. METHODS This cross-sectional study using Optum Clinformatics DataMart (Optum CDM), a nationally representative insurance claims database, included patients aged 18 years and older who had Mohs micrographic surgery insurance claims in the Optum CDM database from 2009 to 2020. Data were analyzed from November 11, 2020, to March 30, 2021. METHODS Opioid prescription following Mohs surgery. METHODS The primary outcome was the proportion of patients who underwent Mohs surgery and obtained an opioid prescription within 2 days of surgery. Secondary outcomes included type and opioid quantity prescribed. RESULTS Among 358 012 patients with Mohs micrographic surgery claims (mean [SD] age, 69 [13] years; 205 609 [57.4%] were men), the proportion of patients obtaining an opioid prescription after Mohs micrographic surgery increased from 2009 (34.6%) to 2011 (39.6%). This proportion then declined each year, reaching a low of 11.7% in 2020 (27.9% absolute decrease from 2011 to 2020). Hydrocodone, codeine, oxycodone, and tramadol were the 4 most commonly prescribed opioids. By 2020, hydrocodone was obtained less (2009: 47.5%; 2011: 67.1%; 2020: 45.4%; 21.7% absolute decrease from 2011 to 2020) and tramadol was obtained more (2009: 1.6%; 2020: 27.9%; 26.3% absolute increase from 2009 to 2020). CONCLUSIONS In this cross-sectional study of Mohs micrographic surgery claims, patients obtained fewer postsurgery opioid prescriptions over the study period, suggesting responsiveness of patients and dermatologic surgeons to public health concerns regarding the opioid epidemic. During this decline, prescriptions for hydrocodone decreased and tramadol increased.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D008297 Male Males
D010818 Practice Patterns, Physicians' Patterns of practice related to diagnosis and treatment as especially influenced by cost of the service requested and provided. Clinical Practice Patterns,Physician's Practice Patterns,Clinical Practice Pattern,Pattern, Clinical Practice,Patterns, Clinical Practice,Practice Pattern, Clinical,Practice Patterns, Clinical,Practice Patterns, Physician's,Prescribing Patterns, Physician,Physician Practice Patterns,Physician Prescribing Pattern,Physician Prescribing Patterns,Physician's Practice Pattern,Physicians' Practice Pattern,Physicians' Practice Patterns,Practice Pattern, Physician's,Practice Pattern, Physicians',Practice Patterns, Physician,Prescribing Pattern, Physician
D011307 Drug Prescriptions Directions written for the obtaining and use of DRUGS. Drug Prescribing,Drug Prescription,Drug Prescribings,Prescribing, Drug,Prescribings, Drug
D003430 Cross-Sectional Studies Studies in which the presence or absence of disease or other health-related variables are determined in each member of the study population or in a representative sample at one particular time. This contrasts with LONGITUDINAL STUDIES which are followed over a period of time. Disease Frequency Surveys,Prevalence Studies,Analysis, Cross-Sectional,Cross Sectional Analysis,Cross-Sectional Survey,Surveys, Disease Frequency,Analyses, Cross Sectional,Analyses, Cross-Sectional,Analysis, Cross Sectional,Cross Sectional Analyses,Cross Sectional Studies,Cross Sectional Survey,Cross-Sectional Analyses,Cross-Sectional Analysis,Cross-Sectional Study,Cross-Sectional Surveys,Disease Frequency Survey,Prevalence Study,Studies, Cross-Sectional,Studies, Prevalence,Study, Cross-Sectional,Study, Prevalence,Survey, Cross-Sectional,Survey, Disease Frequency,Surveys, Cross-Sectional
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000293 Adolescent A person 13 to 18 years of age. Adolescence,Youth,Adolescents,Adolescents, Female,Adolescents, Male,Teenagers,Teens,Adolescent, Female,Adolescent, Male,Female Adolescent,Female Adolescents,Male Adolescent,Male Adolescents,Teen,Teenager,Youths
D000368 Aged A person 65 years of age or older. For a person older than 79 years, AGED, 80 AND OVER is available. Elderly
D000701 Analgesics, Opioid Compounds with activity like OPIATE ALKALOIDS, acting at OPIOID RECEPTORS. Properties include induction of ANALGESIA or NARCOSIS. Opioid,Opioid Analgesic,Opioid Analgesics,Opioids,Full Opioid Agonists,Opioid Full Agonists,Opioid Mixed Agonist-Antagonists,Opioid Partial Agonists,Partial Opioid Agonists,Agonist-Antagonists, Opioid Mixed,Agonists, Full Opioid,Agonists, Opioid Full,Agonists, Opioid Partial,Agonists, Partial Opioid,Analgesic, Opioid,Full Agonists, Opioid,Mixed Agonist-Antagonists, Opioid,Opioid Agonists, Full,Opioid Agonists, Partial,Opioid Mixed Agonist Antagonists,Partial Agonists, Opioid
D015580 Mohs Surgery A surgical technique used primarily in the treatment of skin neoplasms, especially basal cell or squamous cell carcinoma of the skin. This procedure is a microscopically controlled excision of cutaneous tumors either after fixation in vivo or after freezing the tissue. Serial examinations of fresh tissue specimens are most frequently done. Micrographic Surgery, Mohs,Micrographic Surgery, Moh's,Micrographic Surgery, Mohs',Moh's Micrographic Surgery,Moh's Surgery,Mohs Micrographic Surgery,Surgery, Moh's Micrographic,Surgery, Mohs,Surgery, Mohs Micrographic,Surgery, Mohs',Micrographic Surgery, Moh,Moh Micrographic Surgery,Moh Surgery,Mohs' Micrographic Surgery,Mohs' Surgery,Surgery, Moh,Surgery, Moh Micrographic,Surgery, Moh's,Surgery, Mohs' Micrographic

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