Risk of all cause hospitalisation or emergency department visits in people using opioids and benzodiazepine receptor modulators during 2016–2018
| Patient group | Analysis group based on exposure category* | ||||||
| None | Opioid only (reference) | Benzodiazepine† only | Concurrent | ||||
| OR (P value) | 95% CI | OR | OR (P value) | 95% CI | OR (P value) | 95% CI | |
| Overall population | 0.21 (<0.001) | 0.20 to 0.21 | 1 | 0.46 (<0.001) | 0.45 to 0.48 | 1.13 (<0.001) | 1.10 to 1.17 |
| Sex | |||||||
| Female | 0.24 (<0.001) | 0.23 to 0.25 | 1 | 0.51 (<0.001) | 0.49 to 0.52 | 1.19 (<0.001) | 1.14 to 1.23 |
| Male | 0.18 (<0.001) | 0.18 to 0.19 | 1 | 0.43 (<0.001) | 0.41 to 0.45 | 1.10 (<0.001) | 1.05 to 1.16 |
| Age at admission | |||||||
| 20–40 | 0.16 (<0.001) | 0.15 to 0.16 | 1 | 0.33 (<0.001) | 0.31 to 0.35 | 0.96 (0.33) | 0.88 to 1.04 |
| 40–65 | 0.23 (<0.001) | 0.22 to 0.23 | 1 | 0.48 (<0.001) | 0.46 to 0.50 | 1.12 (<0.001) | 1.07 to 1.18 |
| >65 | 0.30 (<0.001) | 0.29 to 0.31 | 1 | 0.73 (<0.001) | 0.69 to 0.77 | 1.50 (<0.001) | 1.39 to 1.61 |
| Total days of cumulative concurrency | |||||||
| 1–30 | 0.33 (<0.001) | 0.31 to 0.35 | 1 | 0.72 (<0.001) | 0.67 to 0.78 | 2.47 (<0.001) | 2.26 to 2.70 |
| 31–90 | 0.45 (<0.001) | 0.41 to 0.49 | 1 | 1.05 (0.36) | 0.95 to 1.17 | 1.50 (<0.001) | 1.34 to 1.67 |
| 91–180 | 0.44 (<0.001) | 0.39 to 0.49 | 1 | 1.09 (0.24) | 0.95 to 1.24 | 1.45 (<0.001) | 1.28 to 1.64 |
| 181–365 | 0.42 (<0.001) | 0.37 to 0.48 | 1 | 1.11 (<0.11) | 0.97 to 1.3 | 1.57 (<0.001) | 1.40 to 1.76 |
| >365 | 0.26 (<0.001) | 0.23 to 0.29 | 1 | 1.26 (<0.001) | 1.11 to 1.41 | 1.82 (<0.001) | 1.67 to 1.99 |
| >900 | 0.13 (<0.001) | 0.09 to 0.21 | 1 | 1.64 (0.01) | 1.12 to 2.38 | 3.15 (<0.001) | 2.41 to 4.11 |
| Total days of opioid use | |||||||
| 1–7 | 0.04 (<0.001) | 0.03 to 0.05 | 1 | 0.08 (<0.001) | 0.07 to 0.09 | 0.90 (0.40) | 0.72 to 1.14 |
| 8–30 | 0.15 (<0.001) | 0.14 to 0.16 | 1 | 0.30 (<0.001) | 0.28 to 0.32 | 1.21 (0.002) | 1.07 to 1.38 |
| 31–90 | 0.34 (<0.001) | 0.33 to 0.35 | 1 | 0.71 (<0.001) | 0.66 to 0.76 | 1.36 (<0.001) | 1.22 to 1.51 |
| 91–180 | 0.48 (<0.001) | 0.46 to 0.51 | 1 | 1.05 (0.35) | 0.95 to 1.15 | 1.54 (<0.001) | 1.37 to 1.73 |
| 181–365 | 0.54 (<0.001) | 0.52 to 0.57 | 1 | 1.27 (<0.001) | 1.15 to 1.40 | 1.73 (<0.001) | 1.56 to 1.92 |
| >365 | 0.41 (<0.001) | 0.39 to 0.42 | 1 | 1.21 (<0.001) | 1.12 to 1.32 | 1.76 (<0.001) | 1.66 to 1.86 |
| No of opioid dispensations | |||||||
| 1–10 | 0.16 (<0.001) | 0.16 to 0.17 | 1 | 0.34 (<0.001) | 0.33 to 0.35 | 0.93 (0.01) | 0.87 to 0.98 |
| 9–30 | 0.49 (<0.001) | 0.47 to 0.51 | 1 | 1.20 (<0.001) | 1.11 to 1.30 | 1.62 (<0.001) | 1.50 to 1.74 |
| >30 | 0.35 (<0.001) | 0.33 to 0.37 | 1 | 1.09 (0.10) | 0.98 to 1.21 | 1.77 (<0.001) | 1.65 to 1.89 |
| No of unique prescribers | |||||||
| 1 | 0.14 (<0.001) | 0.13 to 0.14 | 1 | 0.30 (<0.001) | 0.28 to 0.32 | 0.73 (<0.001) | 0.65 to 0.81 |
| 2 | 0.20 (<0.001) | 0.19 to 0.20 | 1 | 0.41 (<0.001) | 0.39 to 0.43 | 1.02 (0.64) | 0.94 to 1.11 |
| 3 | 0.26 (<0.001) | 0.25 to 0.27 | 1 | 0.51 (<0.001) | 0.48 to 0.54 | 1.30 (<0.001) | 1.19 to 1.42 |
| 4 | 0.32 (<0.001) | 0.31 to 0.34 | 1 | 0.68 (<0.001) | 0.63 to 0.73 | 1.54 (<0.001) | 1.39 to 1.70 |
| >5 | 0.38 (<0.001) | 0.37 to 0.40 | 1 | 0.91 (<0.001) | 0.86 to 0.96 | 1.67 (<0.001) | 1.57 to 1.77 |
| No of unique pharmacies | |||||||
| 1 | 0.14 (<0.001) | 0.13 to 0.15 | 1 | 0.32 (<0.001) | 0.31 to 0.35 | 0.95 (0.25) | 0.86 to 1.04 |
| 2 | 0.20 (<0.001) | 0.19 to 0.21 | 1 | 0.45 (<0.001) | 0.43 to 0.48 | 1.12 (0.007) | 1.03 to 1.21 |
| 3 | 0.27 (<0.001) | 0.26 to 0.28 | 1 | 0.56 (<0.001) | 0.52 to 0.59 | 1.24 (<0.001) | 1.14 to 1.35 |
| 4 | 0.31 (<0.001) | 0.29 to 0.33 | 1 | 0.66 (<0.001) | 0.61 to 0.71 | 1.47 (<0.001) | 1.33 to 1.64 |
| >5 | 0.39 (<0.001) | 0.38 to 0.41 | 1 | 0.78 (<0.001) | 0.73 to 0.83 | 1.47 (<0.001) | 1.38 to 1.57 |
*Risk interval=7 days before hospitalisation/emergency visit; control interval=7-day period 1 month before hospitalisation/emergency department visit.
†Includes all benzodiazepine receptor modulators.