More than 91.8 million adults in the U.S. used prescription opioids in 2015. While most used the medications in accordance with their prescriptions, certain groups were more prone to misuse, according to a study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
Here are five things to know.
1. For the study, researchers analyzed data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health conducted in 2015. More than 50,000 non-institutionalized adults completed the survey. Researchers used the responses to create national estimates.
2. Researchers defined opioid misuse as taking opioids without a prescription, taking them for reasons for which they were not prescribed, or using them at dosage levels or lengths that were not prescribed.
3. Based on the research team's estimates, 11.5 million American adults misused opioids in 2015 and 1.9 million had an opioid use disorder.
4. Among the respondents, 63.4 percent reported pain relief as the motivation for opioid misuse.
5. Opioid misuse and opioid use disorders were most commonly reported by individuals who were uninsured, unemployed, had low incomes or experienced behavioral health issues.
6. "Economic disadvantage and behavioral health problems may be associated with prescription opioid misuse," concluded the study's authors. "The results suggest a need to improve access to evidence-based pain management and to decrease excessive prescribing that may leave unused opioids available for potential misuse."
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