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Research Studies is a compilation of published research articles funded by AHRQ or authored by AHRQ researchers.
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1 to 6 of 6 Research Studies DisplayedRamanathan S, Yan CH, Hubbard C
Changes in antibiotic prescribing by dentists in the United States, 2012-2019.
Dentists are the top specialty prescriber of antibiotics in the United States, prescribing 10% of all outpatient antibiotics. The purpose of this retrospective study was to assess trends in the rates of antibiotic prescribing by dentists. The researchers also evaluated if trends varied by agent, specialty, and patient characteristics. The study found that between 2012 and 2019 dentists wrote more than 216 million antibiotic prescriptions. The annual rate of dental antibiotic prescribing remained steady over time. However, the dental prescribing rate increased in the Northeast, among oral and maxillofacial surgeons, prosthodontists, endodontists, periodontists, and for amoxicillin. The mean days' supply significantly decreased over the study period by 0.023 days per 1,000 dentists per year.
AHRQ-funded; HS025177.
Citation: Ramanathan S, Yan CH, Hubbard C .
Changes in antibiotic prescribing by dentists in the United States, 2012-2019.
Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2023 Nov; 44(11):1725-30. doi: 10.1017/ice.2023.151..
Keywords: Antibiotics, Antimicrobial Stewardship, Medication, Dental and Oral Health
Yan CH, Hubbard CC, Lee TA
Impact of hydrocodone rescheduling on dental prescribing of opioids.
In 2014, the United States Drug Enforcement Administration rescheduled hydrocodone’s controlled substance schedule from III to II, introducing increasing regulations in prescribing and dispensing. In the U.S., dentists often prescribe hydrocodone, and these changes in scheduling may have altered dental prescribing of opioids. The purpose of this study was to assess the impact of the hydrocodone rescheduling on dental prescribing of opioids in the United States. Across the 49-month study period, dentists prescribed 50,412,942 opioid prescriptions. Hydrocodone was the most prescribed opioid, followed by codeine, oxycodone, and tramadol. At index, hydrocodone prescribing immediately decreased by -834.8 Rx/1,000 dentists with increased prescribing of codeine, oxycodone, and tramadol. The mean MME increased at index for all opioids except for hydrocodone, and dosages subsequently decreased during the postindex period.
AHRQ-funded; HS025177.
Citation: Yan CH, Hubbard CC, Lee TA .
Impact of hydrocodone rescheduling on dental prescribing of opioids.
JDR Clin Trans Res 2023 Oct; 8(4):402-12. doi: 10.1177/23800844221102830..
Keywords: Opioids, Medication, Dental and Oral Health, Practice Patterns
Ramanathan S, Evans CT, Hershow RC
Comparison of guideline concordant antibiotic prophylaxis in Veterans Affairs and non-Veterans Affairs dental settings among those with cardiac conditions or prosthetic joints.
The objective of this retrospective study was to compare prescribing of antibiotic prophylaxis in Veterans Affairs (VA) and non-VA settings. Subjects were veteran and non-veteran dental patients with cardiac conditions or prosthetic joints; most were males aged 55 years older. The results showed that VA settings had a higher prevalence of guideline concordant prescribing among those with prosthetic joints, and when assessing dosing errors. The authors recommended that future studies focus on the extent to which integrated electronic health records may be responsible for increased guideline concordant prescribing in the VA setting.
AHRQ-funded; HS025177.
Citation: Ramanathan S, Evans CT, Hershow RC .
Comparison of guideline concordant antibiotic prophylaxis in Veterans Affairs and non-Veterans Affairs dental settings among those with cardiac conditions or prosthetic joints.
BMC Infect Dis 2023 Jun 23; 23(1):427. doi: 10.1186/s12879-023-08400-y..
Keywords: Dental and Oral Health, Antibiotics, Medication, Prevention, Cardiovascular Conditions, Practice Patterns
Kim KC, Khouja T, Burgette JM
Trends in dispensed prescriptions for opioids, sedatives, benzodiazepines, gabapentin, and stimulants to children by general dentists, 2012-2019.
This study examined trends in prescription fills for opioids, benzodiazepines, gabapentin, and stimulants to children <18 years from 2012 to 2019 in a national dataset comprising 92% of dispensed outpatient prescriptions by dentists. During this time, 3.8 million children filled prescriptions for high-alert drugs from general dentists. Opioids accounts for 69.4% of high-alert prescriptions, however from 2012 to 2019 fills for opioids, sedatives, benzodiazepines, and stimulants decreased by 65.2%, 43.4%, 43.6% and 89.3%, respectively. Gabapentin prescriptions increased by 8.1%. Older teenagers (15-17 years) received 42.5% of high-alert prescriptions. Low-income counties in Southern states were overrepresented among top-prescribing areas in 2019.
AHRQ-funded; HS025177.
Citation: Kim KC, Khouja T, Burgette JM .
Trends in dispensed prescriptions for opioids, sedatives, benzodiazepines, gabapentin, and stimulants to children by general dentists, 2012-2019.
Pharmacoepidemiol Drug Saf 2023 Jun; 32(6):625-34. doi: 10.1002/pds.5589..
Keywords: Children/Adolescents, Dental and Oral Health, Opioids, Medication, Practice Patterns
Zhou J, Calip GS, Rowan S
Potentially inappropriate medication combination with opioids among older dental patients: a retrospective review of insurance claims data.
Opioid prescribing by dentists for older patients receiving medications with potential contraindications and the subsequent impact on acute care outcomes is not well described. The objective of this paper was to evaluate the use of potentially inappropriate medication combinations (PIMCs) involving opioids prescribed by dentists according to the Beers Criteria and risks of 30-day emergency department (ED) visits and all-cause hospitalization among commercially insured dental patients ages 65 years and older.
AHRQ-funded; HS025177.
Citation: Zhou J, Calip GS, Rowan S .
Potentially inappropriate medication combination with opioids among older dental patients: a retrospective review of insurance claims data.
Pharmacotherapy 2020 Oct;40(10):992-1001. doi: 10.1002/phar.2452..
Keywords: Elderly, Opioids, Dental and Oral Health, Medication: Safety, Medication, Practice Patterns
Suda KJ, Zhou J, Rowan SA
Overprescribing of opioids to adults by dentists in the U.S., 2011-2015.
Dentists prescribe 1 in 10 opioid prescriptions in the U.S. When opioids are necessary, national guidelines recommend the prescription of low-dose opioids for a short duration. This study assessed the appropriate prescribing of opioids by dentists before guideline implementation. The investigators concluded that between 1 in 4 and 1 in 2 opioids prescribed to adult dental patients are overprescribed.
AHRQ-funded; HS025177.
Citation: Suda KJ, Zhou J, Rowan SA .
Overprescribing of opioids to adults by dentists in the U.S., 2011-2015.
Am J Prev Med 2020 Apr;58(4):473-86. doi: 10.1016/j.amepre.2019.11.006..
Keywords: Opioids, Dental and Oral Health, Provider, Practice Patterns, Medication