Opioid Access: A Tale of Race and Wealth

In the United States, the amount of opioid painkillers dispensed has been dropping quickly since 2011. This might sound like good news, but it might also mean that people who really need these medicines aren't getting them. Especially troubling is that people living in poorer and non-White communities seem to be getting less of these drugs. A study looking at data from 2011 to 2021 found that communities with more non-White residents had about 40% less access to opioid painkillers like oxycodone, hydrocodone, and morphine, even after accounting for the community's wealth. The study used a system called the Automated Reports and Consolidated Ordering System to track the number of opioid painkillers given out each quarter, per person. They looked at communities based on their racial makeup (majority White or non-White) and their wealth (from most to least deprived). Even in the richest communities, non-White areas had much less access to these medicines. For example, in the least deprived areas, non-White communities had about 46 MMEs (oral morphine milligram equivalents) per person, while White communities had around 83 MMEs. In the poorest areas, the difference was even bigger: non-White communities had about 78 MMEs per person, while White communities had around 134 MMEs. These differences were seen every year of the study and at every level of wealth. It's important to note that these medicines are needed for people with serious pain. So, the fact that some communities have much less access could be a big problem. This study shows that policies about who can get these medicines need to be looked at carefully. Maybe they need to be changed to make sure everyone has fair access.