EPH198 The Sustained Impact of COVID-19 on Opioid Dispensing in California

Opioid overprescribing played a major role in the onset of American opioid epidemic. During COVID-19 pandemic, healthcare access had dramatic changes that potentially impacted high-risk prescribing among providers and seeking behaviors recipients. The study aims to assess impact pandemic on trends dispensing during 14 months before 21 after California. Analyzing data from California’s Controlled Substance Utilization Review Evaluation System (CURES)-Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs (PDMPs), harnessed segmented regression model measure temporal associated with pandemic. Four measures utilization were analyzed: (1) multiple provider episodes, (2) overlapping prescription for seven or more days, (3) benzodiazepine (4) high standardized dosage prescriptions per month. assessed records 1,737,984 recipients period January 18, 2019, December 17, 2021, 1,873,962 2021. analysis showed significantly changed decreasing trend measurements episodes (P-value=0.0125) (P-value=0.0312). Although all four indices presented initiating time, findings show resisted such long-term declining trends. We observed gradual decrease recent years. sustained effect behavior, decelerating behavior occurrences.