Prescription opioid use and physician background characteristics: Register-based evidence from Finland

Main funder

Funder's project number: 20227519

Funds granted by main funder (€)

Funding program

Project timetable

Project start date: 01/01/2023

Project end date: 31/12/2023

Summary

The use of prescription opioids has increased dramatically in the United States during the past few decades and has currently reached epidemic proportions. The misuse and non-medical use of opioids is a considerable public health and policy concern also in a growing number of European countries, including Finland. However, there is still a substantial gap in empirical knowledge regarding the determinants of opioid prescribing. Only few studies have explicitly focused on physician background characteristics such as education as the potential drivers of opioid prescription patterns. We examine the determinants of opioid prescribing using comprehensive Finnish register data. Our empirical analysis focuses on the potential role of physician ability as a driver of opioid prescribing. We also describe the other relevant physician characteristics such as the field of specialty that influence opioid prescribing in Finland. Our results are helpful in addressing the potential overprescribing of strong pain medication.

Principal Investigator

Primary responsible unit

Follow-up groups

Profiling area: School of Wellbeing (University of Jyväskylä JYU) JYU.Well