The 2019 National Survey on Drug Use and Health estimated 1.6million Americans had opioid use disorder but in 2021 the survey changed to add patients taking opioids as prescribed – and the estimate rose to 6.1million Americans with OUD or 9.4million if you include patients receiving MOUD but no DSM-5 symptoms yet.
Screened Out — How a Survey Change Sheds Light on Iatrogenic Opioid Use Disorder
The New England Journal of Medicine
The 2019 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) estimated 1.6 million Americans had OUD; however, individuals taking opioids as prescribed were instructed to skip the OUD screening questions. In 2021, a method change screened these individuals for OUD, and in 2022, the estimate rose to 6.1 million Americans with OUD. If you include patients receiving MOUD, who may not currently have DSM-5 symptoms of OUD, the figure rises to 9.4 million. There is a large group of patients taking opioids as prescribed who have OUD. Their most common DSM-5 criteria were craving, difficulty cutting down, and a great deal of time spent obtaining and using opioids. The authors believe that improved epidemiology of OUD will help direct limited treatment resources more efficiently.
