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Heroin Addiction and Related Clinical Problems: 2022, 24, N4 (pages: 33 - 39)

Prescription opioids use and opioid-related mortality monitoring in Slovenia

Kostnapfel T., Jandl M., Hočevar Grom A., Korošec A., and Kastelic A.

Summary: Background: The increase of opioid prescription over time has led to higher numbers of prescription opioid misuse, abuse, opioid-related deaths in most developed countries in the world, and increase of non-medical use of prescription drugs is one of the biggest global health concerns. Aim: The aim of the study was to analyze the prescription opioid prevalence, mortality and hospitalisation rates in Slovenia in between 2010 and 2020. Methods: A retrospective observational analysis of data from the "Outpatient Prescription Database of the Republic of Slovenia" and the “Mortality Database” was performed. Medications were classified according to the Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical (ATC) Classification System, and Defined Daily Doses (DDD) per 1,000 inhabitants per day (DDD/TID) were used. Results: In Slovenia, DDD/TID of opioid analgesics significantly increased from 2010 to 2017, followed by a decrease observed from 2018 to 2020. There were 135 deaths due to the prescription opioids and methadone for opioid agonist treatment between 2010 and 2020. Some changes of mortality rate were detected. The hospitalisation rate has been declining in recent years, except for the increased hospitalisation rate due to methadone observed in 2020. Conclusions: The mortality data in our study show a trend of increasing deaths in the last three years. Easy access to opioids can lead to addiction in both medical and non-medical users, which is the key factor for opioid mortality. The results highlight the need for more focused policy aiming to reduce the incidence of opioid addiction, mostly through harmonized guidelines for prescribing opioid analgesics.