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July 12, 2026Open Access

Opioid prescribing trends in pain management clinics in Taiwan: 2008–2018: A population-based retrospective study

KNKwok-On NgChia-Yi Christian Hospital KKKun-Yu KaoChi Mei Medical Center CHChung‐Han HoChi Mei Medical Center

Puntos clave

This study aims to analyze opioid prescribing trends in pain management clinics across Taiwan from 2008 to 2018.
Retrospective population-based study using Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database data.
Analyzed opioid prescriptions issued during outpatient PMC visits for adults aged 18 and older.
Utilized linear regression to assess trends by opioid type, diagnoses, hospital level, and age group.
A total of 237,766 opioid prescriptions were issued during the study period, without a significant overall trend (P=0.49).
Morphine was the most prescribed opioid, while prescriptions for pethidine declined; oxycodone saw an increase to 4024 prescriptions by 2018.
Significant increases in prescribing observed in patients aged 51-64 years (P=0.04) and per 100 beds in medical centers (P<0.001).

Resumen

Pain management clinics (PMCs) play a central role in managing complex pain conditions, yet nationwide data on opioid prescription trends in this specialized setting remain limited. This study examined opioid prescribing patterns in Taiwanese PMCs from 2008 to 2018. This nationwide retrospective population-based study used data from the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database. Adult patients aged 18 years or older who received at least 1 opioid prescription during outpatient PMC visits between 2008 and 2018 were included. Opioid medications were identified using Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical classification codes. Prescription trends by opioid type, associated diagnoses, hospital level, and age group were analyzed using linear regression. A total of 2,37,766 opioid prescriptions were issued across PMCs during the study period. Annual prescription counts fluctuated without a significant overall trend ( P = .49), and prescriptions per patient remained stable (range: 2.92–3.49; P = .87), indicating that volume changes reflected patient number fluctuations rather than escalating prescribing intensity. Morphine was the most prescribed opioid, while pethidine declined markedly; oxycodone, introduced in 2016, surged to 4024 prescriptions by 2018. The leading indications were chronic pancreatitis (23.98%), oral cancer (15.26%), and neuropathic pain (12.35%), with non-cancer pain comprising 65.8% to 71.3% of prescriptions annually. Prescription rates increased significantly in patients aged 51 to 64 years ( P = .04), and medical centers showed a significant upward trend in prescribing per 100 beds ( P < .001). Opioid prescribing in Taiwanese PMCs was stable overall, with a shift from traditional agents toward newer high-potency opioids. The predominance of non-cancer pain indications and the centralization of prescribing within medical centers highlight the need for targeted stewardship policies and post-market surveillance of newly introduced opioids.

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