Research reveals troubling aspects of opioid prescriptions for injured workers in Australia

A study led by Monash University has discovered that a significant number of injured employees in Victoria are being given prescriptions for high-risk opioids.

The research examined opioid prescriptions for employees who sustained injuries and were covered by the Victorian workers' compensation scheme, marking the first attempt to measure the frequency of early high-risk prescribing practices.

Researchers conducted an analysis of data involving 30,590 employees who experienced back and neck injuries from 2010 to 2019 all of whom had to take leave from work and submitted workers' compensation claims. Out of this group, 6,278 individuals, or roughly 20.5 percent, received opioid prescriptions during the first three months following their claims.

The study revealed that within the initial three months of being prescribed opioids, approximately two-thirds of workers (67.1 percent) received early high-risk opioid prescriptions, and almost one-quarter (22.8 percent) persisted in their opioid use after one year.

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