Resumen de High-Risk Obtainment of Prescription Drugs by Older Adults in New Jersey: The Role of Prescription Opioids

Sarah L. Gold, Kristen Gilmore Powell, Michael H. Eversman, N. Andrew Peterson, Suzanne Borys, Donald K. Hallcom

• Objectives To explore the high-risk ways in which older adults obtain prescription opioids and to identify predictors of obtaining prescription opioids from high-risk sources, such as obtaining the same drug from multiple doctors, sharing drugs, and stealing prescription pads.

  Design Logistic regression analyses of cross-sectional survey data from the New Jersey Older Adult Survey on Drug Use and Health, a representative random-sample survey.

  Participants Adults aged 60 and older (N = 725).

  Measurements Items such as obtaining prescriptions for the same drug from more than one doctor and stealing prescription drugs were measured to determine high-risk obtainment of prescription opioids.

  Results Almost 15% of the sample used high-risk methods of obtaining prescription opioids. Adults who previously used a prescription opioid recreationally had three times the risk of high-risk obtainment of prescription opioids.

  Conclusion These findings illustrate the importance of strengthening prescription drug monitoring programs to reduce high-risk use of prescription drugs in older adults by alerting doctors and pharmacists to potential prescription drug misuse and interactions.