Racial Differences Seen in Pain Rx for Older Adults With Hip Fracture

THURSDAY, Sept. 12, 2024 (HealthDay News) — Racial differences exist in opioid pain management for Medicare beneficiaries after a hip fracture, according to a study published online Sept. 11 in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.

Kaleen N. Hayes, Pharm.D., Ph.D., from Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, and colleagues assessed whether the receipt and dose of opioids differed between Black and White older adult U.S. Medicare beneficiaries with a hip fracture as they transitioned back to the community setting. The analysis included 164,170 older adults (mean age, 82.7 years) with hip fracture.

The researchers found that overall use of opioids in the community was similar between Black and White Medicare beneficiaries. However, Black beneficiaries had lower average doses in their first 90 days in both total cumulative doses (institutional postacute care [PAC] group, 165 fewer milligram morphine equivalents [MMEs]; no PAC, 167 fewer MMEs) and average MME per days” supply of medication (PAC, –3.0 fewer MMEs per day; no PAC, –4.7 fewer MMEs per day). In secondary analyses, the greatest differences were seen among Asian beneficiaries (e.g., 617 to 653 fewer cumulative mg oxycodone).

“Future work should examine whether these differences result in disparities in short- and long-term health outcomes,” the authors write.

Several authors disclosed ties to relevant organizations.

Abstract/Full Text