OPIATE AVAILABLILITY IN WASHINGTON STATE



Submitted for publication to the Journal of Pain

OPIOID AVAILABLILITY IN WASHINGTON STATE

Jonathan D. Mayer, MA, PhD *§

Beth Kirlin, BA ±

Colin D Rehm, BA*

John D. Loeser, MD¶

*Department of Epidemiology, University of Washington, Seattle

§Departments of Geography, Medicine (Allergy and Infectious Diseases) Family Medicine, and Health Services, University of Washington, Seattle

±Group Health Center for Health Studies; Group Health, Seattle WA

¶Departments of Neurological Surgery and Anesthesiology, University of Washington, Seattle.

Correspondence to: Jonathan D. Mayer, PhD

Department of Epidemiology

University of Washington

Box 353550

Seattle, WA 98195

PHONE: 206 543-7110

FAX: 206 543-3313

Email: jmayer@u.washington.edu

RUNNING TITLE: Opioid Availablility in Washington State

KEY WORDS: opioid, pharmacy, Washington, availability, variation

ABSTRACT

A mail survey of 1349 outpatient pharmacies in the State of Washington was conducted to assess the availability of opioid medications. Pharmacies in zip codes with a high percentage of non-white residents, or higher percent of residents below poverty were slightly more likely to have restricted availability. Rural and urban zip codes did not have different opioid availability. Over 90% of pharmacies had a broad supply of both short- and long-acting opioids. This contrasts sharply with data from metropolitan and rural eastern regions of the United States. Regional variations in all aspects of health care are common and defy explanation.

PERSPECTIVE

Availability of prescription opioids in the state of Washington is not significantly influenced by rural or urban location of the pharmacy or socio-economic factors such as minority population or average income. Over 90% of pharmacies have both short- and long-acting opioids available.

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