Opioid Use Among Older Adults - AHRQ Releases New Resources and Data

The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) has released new resources and data on opioid use among elderly adults (ages 65 and older).

1. The latest Medical Expenditure Panel Survey statistical brief provides estimates of prescription opioid medications filled or refilled by elderly adults in the U.S. in 2018-19.
2. A new data infographic (pictured above) shows that in 2018-19, the frequent use of opioids was more common among elderly adults who were poor, low income, or middle income compared with high-income elderly adults.
3. A new interactive data visualization shows opioid use among elderly and non-elderly adults during 2015-16 and 2018-19, and can be filtered by sex, race/ethnicity, poverty, insurance coverage, health status, region and metropolitan statistical area.

For more information on the data used in these tools and resources see:

• Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality - MEPS Statistical Brief #541: Any Use and "Frequent Use" of Opioids among Elderly Adults in 2018-2019, by Socioeconomic Characteristics
• Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality - MEPS Statistical Brief #515: Any Use and Frequent Use of Opioids among Elderly Adults in 2015–2016, by Socioeconomic Characteristics
• Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality - MEPS Statistical Brief #542: Any Use and "Frequent Use" of Opioids among Non-Elderly Adults in 2018-2019, by Socioeconomic Characteristics
• Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality - MEPS Statistical Brief #516: Any Use and Frequent Use of Opioids among Non-Elderly Adults in 2015–2016, by Socioeconomic Characteristics

Explore more about AHRQ’s Older Adult Opioid Initiative.