Early High-Risk Opioid Prescribing and Persistent Opioid Use in Australian Workers with Workers’ Compensation Claims for Back and Neck Musculoskeletal Disorders or Injuries: A Retrospective Cohort Study

Opioid prescribing to injured workers has increased despite evidence demonstrating that risks often outweigh the benefits. High-risk prescribing and persistent opioid use are often associated with harm. However, there are limited data on what predicts early high-risk and persistent opioid prescribing in Australian workers with back and neck-related injuries or disorders.