Outpatient Opioid Dispensing Patterns for SC Medicaid Children 1-36 Months Old.

Objectives: We sought to identify the most common diagnostic categories linked to dispensed opioid prescriptions among children 1-36 months old and changes in patterns over the years 2000 to 2017.

Methods: This study used South Carolina's Medicaid claims data of pediatric dispensed outpatient opioid prescriptions between 2000 and 2017. The major opioid-related diagnostic category (indication) for each prescription was identified using visit primary diagnoses and the Clinical Classification System (AHRQ-CCS) software.