{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,15]],"date-time":"2026-10-15T03:14:51Z","timestamp":1792034091421,"version":"4.4.0"},"reference-count":23,"publisher":"CSIRO Publishing","issue":"4","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,4]],"date-time":"2026-09-04T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1788480000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1071\/journalslicense"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":[],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,1]]},"abstract":"<jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Objective<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Chronic opioid use can develop in previously opioid-na\u00efve patients following an emergency department (ED) or hospital admission; however, most evidence is from North America. This study aims to assess the prevalence of persistent opioid use after an ED presentation in an Australian setting.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>This was a population-based, retrospective cohort study using state-based linked data. Persistent opioid use was defined as continued use after 12 months, among previously opioid-na\u00efve patients who filled an opioid prescription following discharge from any Queensland public hospital ED between 1 January 2011 and 31 December 2017. Descriptive statistics were used to summarise demographic characteristics of the study population and to outline primary outcome measures.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>There were 3,082,681 ED presentations during the study period, and 11,281,039 opioid prescriptions within 12 months of the ED presentations included in the study. A total of 186,545 opioid-na\u00efve patients had an opioid prescription associated with their ED presentation, with more prescriptions in 2017 (34,273) compared with 2011 (14,896), driven predominantly by oxycodone prescription increases. However, of the total cohort, only 3539 (1.9%) were classified as persistent opioid users, with similar annual proportions seen throughout the study period.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Conclusion<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>The proportion of patients progressing to persistent opioid use after ED presentation was low and remained relatively stable, despite a substantial increase in the number of patients receiving at least one opioid prescription after an ED presentation. These results highlight the need for continued focus on appropriate prescribing and patient safety.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1071\/ah26056","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,7]],"date-time":"2026-09-07T23:17:03Z","timestamp":1788823023000},"source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["Linking emergency department opioid prescribing with ongoing opioid use: a statewide data linkage study"],"prefix":"10.1071","volume":"50","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-8821-3056","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Champika","family":"Pattullo","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"The Royal Brisbane and Women\u2019s Hospital A , , , .","place":["Brisbane, Qld, Australia"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-8991-7015","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"William","family":"Dace","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Anaesthesia, University Hospital Wales B , , , .","place":["Swansea, United Kingdom"]},{"name":"Swansea University B , , , .","place":["Swansea, United Kingdom"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Anita","family":"Pelecanos","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute C , , , .","place":["Brisbane, Qld, Australia"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-1100-4552","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Gerben","family":"Keijzers","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Emergency Medicine D , , , , .","place":["Gold Coast, Qld, Australia"]},{"name":"Gold Coast Hospital and Health Service D , , , , .","place":["Gold Coast, Qld, Australia"]},{"name":"Faculty of Health Sciences and Medicine E , , , , .","place":["Gold Coast, Qld, Australia"]},{"name":"Bond University E , , , , .","place":["Gold Coast, Qld, Australia"]},{"name":"School of Medicine and Dentistry F , , , , .","place":["Gold Coast, Qld, Australia"]},{"name":"Griffith University F , , , , .","place":["Gold Coast, Qld, Australia"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Peter","family":"Donovan","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"The Royal Brisbane and Women\u2019s Hospital A , , , .","place":["Brisbane, Qld, Australia"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"67","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,8]]},"reference":[{"issue":"3","key":"2026090719165703300_R1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"165","DOI":"10.1053\/ajem.2002.32643","article-title":"The high prevalence of pain in emergency medical care.","volume":"20","author":"Cordell","year":"2002","journal-title":"Am J Emerg Med"},{"issue":"4","key":"2026090719165703300_R2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"580","DOI":"10.1111\/1742-6723.13261","article-title":"Affecting emergency department oxycodone discharge prescribing: an educational intervention.","volume":"31","author":"Kline","year":"2019","journal-title":"Emerg Med Australas"},{"issue":"5","key":"2026090719165703300_R3","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"493","DOI":"10.1016\/j.annemergmed.2014.11.015","article-title":"Association of emergency department opioid initiation with recurrent opioid use.","volume":"65","author":"Hoppe","year":"2015","journal-title":"Ann Emerg Med"},{"issue":"12","key":"2026090719165703300_R4","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"902","DOI":"10.2146\/ajhp150528","article-title":"Opioid prescription fill rates after emergency department discharge.","volume":"73","author":"Kim","year":"2016","journal-title":"Am J Health Syst Pharm"},{"issue":"5","key":"2026090719165703300_R5","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"314","DOI":"10.1002\/jhm.228","article-title":"Promoting effective transitions of care at hospital discharge: a review of key issues for hospitalists.","volume":"2","author":"Kripalani","year":"2007","journal-title":"J Hosp Med"},{"issue":"6","key":"2026090719165703300_R6","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"444","DOI":"10.1177\/0310057X20956664","article-title":"Postoperative use of slow-release opioids: the impact of the Australian and New Zealand College of anaesthetists\/faculty of pain medicine position statement on clinical practice.","volume":"48","author":"Tan","year":"2020","journal-title":"Anaesth Intensive Care"},{"issue":"6","key":"2026090719165703300_R7","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"996","DOI":"10.1111\/1742-6723.13545","article-title":"Oxycodone prescribing in the emergency department during the opioid crisis.","volume":"32","author":"Pouryahya","year":"2020","journal-title":"Emerg Med Australas"},{"issue":"11","key":"2026090719165703300_R8","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1374","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jpain.2017.06.010","article-title":"Factors influencing long-term opioid use among opioid naive patients: an examination of initial prescription characteristics and pain etiologies.","volume":"18","author":"Shah","year":"2017","journal-title":"J Pain"},{"issue":"3","key":"2026090719165703300_R9","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"367","DOI":"10.1071\/AH21353","article-title":"Persistent opioid use after hospital discharge in Australia: a systematic review.","volume":"46","author":"Suckling","year":"2022","journal-title":"Aust Health Rev"},{"issue":"9","key":"2026090719165703300_R10","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1136\/bmjopen-2018-022649","article-title":"Quantity of opioids consumed following an emergency department visit for acute pain: a Canadian prospective cohort study.","volume":"8","author":"Daoust","year":"2018","journal-title":"BMJ Open"},{"issue":"1","key":"2026090719165703300_R11","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1136\/bmjopen-2020-044493","article-title":"Persistent opioid use and opioid-related harm after hospital admissions for surgery and trauma in New Zealand: a population-based cohort study.","volume":"11","author":"Gong","year":"2021","journal-title":"BMJ Open"},{"issue":"9","key":"2026090719165703300_R12","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1286","DOI":"10.1001\/jamainternmed.2016.3298","article-title":"Incidence of and risk factors for chronic opioid use among opioid-naive patients in the postoperative period.","volume":"176","author":"Sun","year":"2016","journal-title":"JAMA Intern Med"},{"issue":"9","key":"2026090719165703300_R13","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"2111","DOI":"10.1111\/bcp.16093","article-title":"Long-term prescribed opioid use after hospitalization or emergency department presentation among opioid na\u00efve adults (2014-2020)-A population-based descriptive cohort study.","volume":"90","author":"Gillies","year":"2024","journal-title":"Br J Clin Pharmacol"},{"issue":"5","key":"2026090719165703300_R14","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"611","DOI":"10.1016\/j.annemergmed.2019.04.007","article-title":"Conversion to persistent or high-risk opioid use after a new prescription from the emergency department: evidence from Washington Medicaid beneficiaries.","volume":"74","author":"Meisel","year":"2019","journal-title":"Ann Emerg Med"},{"issue":"4","key":"2026090719165703300_R15","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"400","DOI":"10.1111\/1742-6723.12772","article-title":"Evaluation of a targeted prescriber education intervention on emergency department discharge oxycodone prescribing.","volume":"29","author":"Donaldson","year":"2017","journal-title":"Emerg Medicine Australasia"},{"issue":"3","key":"2026090719165703300_R16","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"353","DOI":"10.1071\/AH20262","article-title":"Developing and piloting an adaptable oxycodone quality improvement strategy: steps towards opioid stewardship.","volume":"45","author":"Pattullo","year":"2021","journal-title":"Aust Health Rev"},{"issue":"1","key":"2026090719165703300_R17","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"33","DOI":"10.1111\/1742-6723.13331","article-title":"Opioid prescribing in the emergency department of a tertiary hospital: a retrospective audit of hospital discharge data.","volume":"32","author":"Stanley","year":"2020","journal-title":"Emerg Med Australas"},{"issue":"7624","key":"2026090719165703300_R18","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"806","DOI":"10.1136\/bmj.39335.541782.AD","article-title":"Strengthening the reporting of observational studies in epidemiology (STROBE) statement: guidelines for reporting observational studies.","volume":"335","author":"Elm","year":"2007","journal-title":"BMJ"},{"key":"2026090719165703300_R19"},{"key":"2026090719165703300_R20"},{"issue":"6","key":"2026090719165703300_R21","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"361","DOI":"10.1097\/JTN.0000000000000250","article-title":"Exploring opioid-sparing multimodal analgesia options in trauma: a nursing perspective.","volume":"23","author":"Sullivan","year":"2016","journal-title":"J Trauma Nurs"},{"issue":"4","key":"2026090719165703300_R22","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"268","DOI":"10.15441\/ceem.21.161","article-title":"Pain management in the emergency department: a clinical review.","volume":"8","author":"Motov","year":"2021","journal-title":"Clin Exp Emerg Med"},{"issue":"5","key":"2026090719165703300_R23","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"558","DOI":"10.1177\/0310057X1404200504","article-title":"Costs and consequences: a review of discharge opioid prescribing for ongoing management of acute pain.","volume":"42","author":"Macintyre","year":"2014","journal-title":"Anaesth Intensive Care"}],"container-title":["Australian Health Review"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/connectsci.au\/ah\/article-pdf\/doi\/10.1071\/AH26056\/1952198\/ah26056.pdf","content-type":"application\/pdf","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"syndication"},{"URL":"https:\/\/connectsci.au\/ah\/article-pdf\/doi\/10.1071\/AH26056\/1952198\/ah26056.pdf","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,7]],"date-time":"2026-09-07T23:17:03Z","timestamp":1788823023000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/connectsci.au\/ah\/article\/50\/4\/AH26056\/275716\/Linking-emergency-department-opioid-prescribing"}},"subtitle":[],"editor":[{"given":"Robert","family":"Borotkanics","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"editor"}]}],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,8]]},"references-count":23,"journal-issue":{"issue":"4","published-print":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,1]]}},"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1071\/ah26056","relation":{},"ISSN":["0156-5788","1449-8944"],"issn-type":[{"value":"0156-5788","type":"print"},{"value":"1449-8944","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,8]]},"article-number":"AH26056"}}