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Use of prescribed opioids by children and adolescents: Differences between D enmark, N orway and S weden
Author(s) -
Mahic M.,
Fredheim O.M.,
Borchgrevink P.C.,
Skurtveit S.
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
european journal of pain
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.305
H-Index - 109
eISSN - 1532-2149
pISSN - 1090-3801
DOI - 10.1002/ejp.632
Subject(s) - psychology
Background There are few studies on the use of opioids among children and adolescents. The aim of this study was to determine the 1‐year prevalence of prescribed opioid dispensing in D enmark, N orway and S weden, and to compare gender and age differences in the use of weak and strong opioids between the three countries. Methods Data on the dispensing of opioids were collected from the websites of the complete national prescription databases in the three countries. All individuals aged 0–19 with at least one prescription of opioids during the study period were included. Results The 1‐year prevalence of opioid use among young individuals aged 0–19 years increased during the study period (2006–2012) in D enmark from 2.5 to 3.4 per thousand, in N orway from 10.7 to 13.4 per thousand and in S weden from 5.9 to 7.1 per thousand. In all three countries, more boys than girls used opioids between the ages of 0 and 10, whereas girls were the major users in the age range 11–19. Use of opioids in all three countries was dominated by weak opioids, codeine being the most dominant in N orway and S weden and tramadol in D enmark. Conclusions The 1‐year prevalence of prescribed opioid use among children and adolescents in N orway was far higher than in D enmark and S weden. During the study period, an increasing use of opioids among children and adolescents was observed in all three countries.