More than 40% of Seniors with Rheumatic Disease Receive Opioids

Here’s a summary of the article, focusing on key takeaways:

Key Findings:

* Non-rheumatologists prescribe more opioids: Clinicians not specializing in rheumatology were substantially more likely to prescribe opioids to patients than rheumatologists (62.6% vs. 33.5%).
* Need for broader pain management strategies: The study suggests a need to involve primary⁢ care⁤ physicians⁢ and ​other clinicians in managing pain ⁣related to rheumatic ⁤diseases.
* Uncertainty about opioid effectiveness: There’s ⁤a ⁣lack of conclusive evidence on‌ whether ⁢chronic opioid use actually helps patients with rheumatic⁣ diseases in the long term. Researchers ‍need to investigate if opioids improve pain scores, function, or quality of life.

Study ⁤Details:

* Data Source: Medicare dataset
* ⁣ Presentation: Presented at ACR Convergence 2025 (October 24-29, 2025, Chicago)
* Researcher: Christine Anastasiou, MD

Disclosures:

* Dr.⁤ Anastasiou received research support from Priovant Therapeutics.
* The study was funded by a Rheumatology Research Foundation scientist growth award.