Workers' Comp Study Shows Rural Workers Hurt On The Job More Likely To Get Opioids

[Sherman A1]

A study of workplace injuries in 27 states, including Missouri and Illinois, shows rural workers injured on the job received prescriptions for opioid pain relievers 68% percent of the time, while their urban counterparts got them 44% of the time.

The study was conducted by the Workers Compensation Research Institute, an independent group that does research for insurance companies, employers and labor unions.

Vennela Thumula, a policy analyst at the institute who authored the study, said it’s difficult to know for sure why the discrepancy exists. She said one possibility is the difference in access to health care.

“It is possible that in rural areas there are fewer specialists compared to urban areas, which might be one of the factors,” Thumula said.

https://news.stlpublicradio.org/post/workers-comp-study-shows-rural-workers-hurt-job-more-likely-get-opioids

[fescuerescue]

1. Does this account for the types of injuries?

I'm thinking that jobs in cities tend to be less physical, vs jobs in rural areas.

I would certainly think that office workers will require painkillers far less often than say workers at saw mill?

[mr_lebowski]

2. Could be that urban-based docs are more worried about diversion

of the medication ... it may or may not be true they're more likely to be diverted in urban settings, but I'd bet that the docs that work in them are more likely to perceive greater risk.

Could also be a certain feeling of 'familiarity' in rural practices, and doctors being more trusting because of that.

That said, a racial breakdown might be interesting to see ...

[MaryMagdaline]

3. White men are most likely to get opioids

Their pain is real.