IMPORTANCE Prescription opioids are involved in more than half of opioid overdoses among younger persons. Understanding opioid prescribing practices is essential for developing appropriate interventions for this population. OBJECTIVE To examine temporal trends in opioid prescribing practices in children, adolescents, and younger adults in the US from 2006 to 2018. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS A population-based, cross-sectional analysis of opioid prescription data was conducted from January 1, 2006, to December 31, 2018. Longitudinal data on retail pharmacy-dispensed opioids for patients younger than 25 years were used in the analysis. Data analysis was performed from December 26, 2019, to July 8, 2020. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES Opioid dispensing rate, mean amount of opioid dispensed in morphine milligram equivalents (MME) per day (individuals aged 15-24 years) or MME per kilogram per day (age <15 years), duration of prescription (mean, short [Յ3 days], and long [Ն30 days] duration), high-dosage prescriptions, and extended-release or long-acting (ER/LA) formulation prescriptions. Outcomes were calculated for age groups: 0 to 5, 6 to 9, 10 to 14, 15 to 19, and 20 to 24 years. Joinpoint regression was used to examine opioid prescribing trends.RESULTS From 2006 to 2018, the opioid dispensing rate for patients younger than 25 years decreased from 14.28 to 6.45, with an annual decrease of 15.15% (95% CI, −17.26% to −12.99%) from 2013 to 2018. The mean amount of opioids dispensed and rates of short-duration and high-dosage prescriptions decreased for all age groups older than 5 years, with the largest decreases in individuals aged 15 to 24 years. Mean duration per prescription increased initially for all ages, but then decreased for individuals aged 10 years or older. The duration remained longer than 5 days across all ages. The rate of long-duration prescriptions increased for all age groups younger than 15 years and initially increased, but then decreased after 2014 for individuals aged 15 to 24 years. For children aged 0 to 5 years dispensed an opioid, annual increases from 2011 to 2014 were noted for the mean amount of opioids dispensed (annual percent change [APC], 10.58%; 95% CI, 1.77% to 20.16%) and rates of long-duration (APC, 30.42%; 95% CI, 14.13% to 49.03%), high-dosage (APC, 31.27%; 95% CI, 16.81% to 47.53%), and ER/LA formulation (APC, 27.86%; 95% CI, 12.04% to 45.91%) prescriptions, although the mean amount dispensed and rate of high-dosage prescriptions decreased from 2014 to 2018.CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE These findings suggest that opioid dispensing rates decreased for patients younger than 25 years, with decreasing rates of high-dosage and long-duration prescriptions for adolescents and younger adults. However, opioids remain readily dispensed, and possible high-risk prescribing practices appear to be common, especially in younger children.

Objectives: Limited literature has investigated caregiver sharing of prescription medications with children. Our primary aim was to determine the frequency of and factors associated with prescription medication sharing within families. Our secondary aim was to determine the source and type of medications shared. Methods:We conducted a survey of a convenience sample of caregivers of children 1 to 17 years in a pediatric emergency department. The survey was developed through literature review, iterative feedback, and pilot testing on caregivers. We used logistic regression to identify factors associated with any history of medication sharing with a child in the home (primary outcome). Results:We enrolled 550 primary caregivers; 68 of the 535 analyzed (12.7%; 95% confidence interval [CI], 10.0-15.8) reported prescription medication sharing with their child/children. Of those who shared, 50 (73.5%) shared asthma medications and 14 (20.6%) shared antibiotics. Of the caregivers who shared prescription medications, 70.6% shared a medication for one child with another child, whereas 33.8% of caregivers shared their own or another adult's medication with their child. A child in the home with asthma (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 3.35; CI, 1.82-6.17), a greater number of children in the household (aOR, 1.29; CI, 1.04-1.60), and a caregiver who previously shared medications with other family members and/or friends (aOR, 4.10; CI, were factors independently associated with medication sharing.Conclusions: Prescription medication sharing within families is common and most often involves asthma medications. We identified several factors associated with prescription medication sharing that could be used to target caregivers for preventative interventions.

For more than 10 years, there have been Food and Drug Administration recommendations and manufacturer labeling changes in place advising against the use of cough and cold medications (CCMs) in young children. 1,2 In this issue of Pediatrics, Halmo et al 3 present concerning findings characterizing fatalities associated with CCMs in recent years. Identifying cases through the Pediatric Cough and Cold Safety Surveillance System and then using an expert panel for review, the authors report 40 CCM-related fatalities in children under 12 years old that occurred from 2008 to 2016. Although overall fatalities associated with CCMs were rare, they found that most fatalities were in children <2 years old and were of nontherapeutic intent, with more than one-half of nontherapeutic intent cases determined to be malicious in nature. Diphenhydramine, a commonly used antihistamine, was found to be the index-ingredient most often involved in CCM-related fatalities. This important fatality review demonstrates that despite safety efforts, young children remain at risk for death from CCMs.Opinions expressed in these commentaries are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the American Academy of Pediatrics or its Committees.

Evidence to aid in the diagnosis and management of SSTIs in children has emerged in recent years; however, larger prospective pediatric studies are needed.

No abstract