Changes in analgesic prescribing among older adults hospitalised for osteoarthritis or joint replacements
Authors: McMahon E , Daunt A , Mattsson M , Fahey T , Walsh M , Moriarty F 
Published: April 2024

Introduction

Osteoarthritis is a chronic, progressive joint disease, associated with frequent pain, and functional decline. The primary risk factor for developing osteoarthritis is advanced age. Older patients are more susceptible to the adverse effects of commonly prescribed analgesics such as opioids and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), owing to a greater prevalence of comorbidities and age-related changes in this cohort. The analgesic burden and prescribing trends in this cohort are largely unknown in the Irish context despite their increased susceptibility to adverse effects.

Aim

This study aims to evaluate analgesic prescribing patterns before and after an osteoarthritis or joint arthroplasty related hospital admission in patients aged ≥65 years and to identify factors associated with long-term prescribing of opioids and oral NSAIDs post-discharge.

Methods

This was an observational study of older adults with an osteoarthritis or joint arthroplasty hospitalisation. Data were collected for a larger study from 44 general practices in Ireland from 2012-2018 and included general practice records (12 months pre/post-index hospitalisation) and hospital discharge summaries, which was extracted as anonymous data from the practice software system. The analysis described prevalence of use of analgesics in the 12 months pre and post their hospitalisation. To assess long-term prescribing, multivariable analysis assessed discharge prescription and patient characteristics associated with opioid and oral NSAID use 3-12 months post-discharge.

Results

Overall, 738 individuals were included (52.9% female, mean age 78.1 years). Compared to 12 months pre-hospitalisation, patients were less likely to be prescribed a weak opioid or oral NSAID from discharge to 3 months post-discharge, or in the 3-12 months post-discharge. For strong opioids, prescribing was significantly less likely in the 3-12 months post-discharge compared to pre-discharge (odds ratio (OR) 0.54, 95%CI 0.40-0.74). Female sex (OR 1.61, 95%CI 1.10-2.36), strong opioid prescribing at discharge (OR 2.47, 95%CI 1.56-3.90) and pregabalin discharge prescribing (OR 2.21, 95%CI 1.12-4.33) were significantly associated with long-term strong opioid prescribing 3-12 months post-discharge. For oral NSAID prescribing, lower age (OR 0.97, 95%CI 0.95-1.00), female sex (OR 1.56, 95%CI 1.08-2.25), and discharge prescribing of strong opioids (OR 1.94, 95%CI 1.23-3.04) were significantly associated.

Conclusion

The use of opioids and oral NSAIDs is typically reduced for patients post-discharge from an osteoarthritis or joint arthroplasty hospitalisation. Female sex and strong opioids at discharge are associated with the prescribing of strong opioids and oral NSAIDs. Although our study was limited by use of prescription records which may not accurately represent what was dispensed or utilised by patients, it is the first to examine changing patterns of analgesic prescribing among osteoarthritis/joint arthroplasty patients. This contributes knowledge on modifiable characteristics which could reduce long-term use of these medications where appropriate.