Objective: Our objective was to identify patterns of opioid use among pregnant women enrolled in RI Medicaid.
Methods: This study used linked RI Medicaid and RI Birth Certificate data from 01/01/2006 to 12/31/2016. We examined temporal trends of prescription opioid dispensings and identified risk factors associated with opioids use during pregnancy.
Results: Among 25,500 RI Medicaid enrolled pregnant women who delivered a live baby from 2008 to 2016, 1,914 (7.5%) received at least one prescription for an opioid medication during pregnancy, 810 (3.2%) were during the first trimester, 633 (2.5%) during the second trimester, and 866 (3.4%) during the third trimester. Of these, 213 (0.8%) women received 3 or more opioids during pregnancy. The prevalence of prescription opioids dispensed in pregnant women increased from 4.9% in 2008 to 9.6% in 2015 (β±SD: 0.66±0.28, P=0.05).
Conclusions: Prescription opioid use during pregnancy has increased among women enrolled in RI Medicaid.
Keywords: RI Medicaid; opioid analgesics; pregnant women.