Higher levels of smoking also tied to pain-related work limitations and worse self-reported health, mental health

Significant increase seen in prepandemic EMS encounters, followed by immediate, significant increase with pandemic interruption

Proportion of telehealth prescriptions climbed across medications

Clinicians and policymakers need a more accurate estimate of the prevalence of problematic opioid use, authors say

CYP2D6-inhibiting antidepressants linked to worse outcomes than CYP2D6-neutral antidepressants when used with CYP2D6-metabolizing opioids

No significant reduction seen in opioid overdose deaths with implementation of evidence-based practice strategies

Prenatal opioid exposure not linked to a clinically meaningful increase in risk for neuropsychiatric disorders

Authors say one explanation for the trend is untreated withdrawal with more severe opioid use disorder