Opioid abuse diagnoses declined 5 percent in 2017, according to a report Blue Cross Blue Shield Association released July 12.
For the report the BCBS, collaborating with Blue Health Intelligence, examined rates of opioid prescription, patterns and diagnosed disorders among BCBS holders.
Here are three things to know:
1. Opioid use disorder claims, which had been climbing since 2013, stabilized between 2016 -17, staying around six claims for every 1,000 members.
2. BCBS members filling opioid prescriptions dropped from 5 in 20 members in 2013 to 3 in 20 members in 2017, amounting to a 29 percent drop in opioid prescriptions
3. Forty-five percent of opioid prescriptions issued in 2017 met CDC dosage guidelines, which is an upswing from only 39 percent in 2013.
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