{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,27]],"date-time":"2026-08-27T16:14:55Z","timestamp":1787847295078,"version":"build-2784847793"},"reference-count":35,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2023,6,7]],"date-time":"2023-06-07T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1686096000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Public Health"],"abstract":"<jats:sec><jats:title>Introduction<\/jats:title><jats:p>The COVID-19 pandemic impacted healthcare operations affecting many patients with chronic pain and substance use disorder. Our study aimed to evaluate the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on opioid and opioid use disorder (OUD) medication prescribing practices within a large academic health system in southern California.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title><jats:p>This retrospective cohort study included patients who received a prescription for chronic opioids or therapy for OUD between November 1, 2019 and September 1, 2020. The date range was divided into five specific time periods during the pandemic: November through December 2019 (pre-COVID and reference period), January through February 2020 (early COVID), March through April 2020 (policy\/guidance change period), May through June 2020 (early post-guidance period), and July through August 2020 (late post-guidance period). The primary outcome was change in morphine milligram equivalents (MME) prescribed. Secondary outcomes included encounter type, mode of prescription ordering, naloxone prescriptions, and urine drug screen obtainment.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Results<\/jats:title><jats:p>The cohort included 100 patients divided among the designated time periods. Seventy-percent of patients received opioids for chronic non-malignant pain and 10% received therapy for OUD. Although there were numerical increases in MMEs prescribed, no significant changes were seen in the MMEs prescribed at any timepoint relative to the pre-COVID timeframe despite reduced in-person visits, increased video and telephone encounters and increased electronic prescription utilization. Subgroup analyses of those with chronic pain only or OUD had similar findings.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Conclusion<\/jats:title><jats:p>It appears that, generally, prescribing practices were sustained despite the various phases of the pandemic including transitions to and from telemedicine.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.3389\/fpubh.2023.1105681","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2023,6,7]],"date-time":"2023-06-07T05:30:55Z","timestamp":1686115855000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":7,"title":["The effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on the prescribing of opioid and opioid use disorder medications within an academic medical center in California"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"11","author":[{"given":"Armen 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