New Reports Highlight AHRQ’s Support for National Opioids Awareness Week

Two new AHRQ reports about the impact of opioids on seniors are part of the agency’s contributions to this week’s HHS Prescription Opioid and Heroin Epidemic Awareness Week. One report from AHRQ’s Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project shows that nearly 125,000 hospitalizations among older Americans involved opioid-related diagnoses in 2015. Another report from the agency’s Medical Expenditure Panel Survey indicates that, in 2015 and 2016, nearly 4 million seniors, on average, filled four or more opioid prescriptions.

AHRQ has joined the battle against opioids by developing an opioids Web page designed to increase access to evidence and support the work of policymakers, clinicians, researchers and others tackling the public health crisis. The resource includes:

Statistical briefs that quantify trends in prescription opioid use and opioid-related hospitalizations and emergency department visits
Clinical tools that provide guidance on team-based management of patients on chronic opioid therapy and integration of behavioral therapy in primary care
Resources related to opioids research, including opioid-related journal publications; a summary of AHRQ projects developed to increase the use of medication-assisted treatment; and a new special emphasis notice that underscores the agency’s interest in receiving health services research grant applications aimed at finding solutions to the opioids crisis
An opioids newsroom that links to opioid-related press releases, AHRQ Views blog posts and infographics

Access today’s press release on AHRQ’s new statistical briefs and a collection of infographics highlighting the impacts of opioids.