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Long-Term Opioid Prescriptions Down 24% in U.S.

4/14/2026

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Story summary
  • A Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) study shows a 24% decline in long-term opioid prescriptions in the United States from 2015 to 2023.
  • More than 4 million Americans remain on long-term opioid therapy, sustaining overdose risks.
  • The average patient age rose from nearly 53 to almost 61.
  • Medicare coverage for long-term opioid prescriptions increased from 39% to 49%.
  • Co-prescriptions with benzodiazepines declined while those with gabapentinoids rose.