1. The Complex Relationships Among Race/Ethnicity, Social Determinants, and Prescription Opioid Utilization
Lanlan Xu, IMPAQ International

2. Acknowledgement/Disclaimer:
Co-author: Asako Moriya, Staff Fellow, AHRQ
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this presentation are those of the authors, and no official endorsement by the Department of Health and Human Services or the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality is intended or should be inferred.

3. Learning Objective: Learning Objective 1: Learning Objective 2:
To recognize racial and ethnic differences in prescription opioid utilization in the US
Learning Objective 2:
To identify underlying contributing factors for racial and ethnic differences in prescription opioid utilization

4. Overview: The Faces of the Opioid Epidemic
130+ people a day die
from opioid-related drug overdoses
Image Source:

5. Overview: Opioid Overdose Death Rates per 100,000
Steadily climbing since 1999
Accelerating rates starting in 2013
Source: Kaiser Family Foundation, State Health Facts. Rates displayed are age-adjusted rates per 100,000 population.

6. The Evidence: Differences Among Racial/Ethnic Groups
Compared to Non-Hispanic Whites, ethnic minorities have:
Outpatient opioid pain prescriptions
Poverty
Uninsurance
Poor Health
Sources:
Miller, G. E. and Moriya, A. S. Any Use and Frequent Use of Opioids among Non-Elderly Adults in , by Socioeconomic Characteristics . September Statistical Brief #516. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Rockville, MD.
Authors’ analysis of MEPS.

7. The Evidence: Outpatient Opioid Pain Prescriptions
Having outpatient opioid pain prescriptions is associated with: $
Lower income
Public-only health insurance
Poorer health status
Source: Miller and Moriya (2018).

8. The Evidence: Group Differences in Risk Factors
How much of racial/ethnicity differences in opioid use can be explained by group differences in risk factors
Individual
Risk Factors
Community
Risk Factors
&
The analysis is well underway and the results can be shared once presented to the Assistant Secretary of HHS.

9. Health Policy Implications:
NON-HEALTH RISK FACTORS
RACIAL/ETHNIC RISK FACTORS
Does addressing the opioid epidemic require a concerted effort across agencies?
Does addressing the opioid epidemic require tailored programs for different racial/ethnic groups?

10. Why This Matters:
Explaining disparities in opioid utilization helps policy makers and programs.
Enhancing
Understanding
Better Program
Targeting

11. Contact Information:
Lanlan Xu
Senior Research Associate, IMPAQ International
IMPAQ Health: