Should INCB Consumption Data Be Utilized to Guide Opioids Policy?

Context: The International Narcotics Control Board's (INCB) opioids consumption data are often cited in the literature and by policy makers to benchmark the adequacy of pain management among different countries. This practice may be inaccurate as INCB data does not account for variations in disease burden and use of other pain medications and only controls for population sizes differences among countries.

Objective: To demonstrate that INCB consumption data may not be an accurate/sensitive indicator for pain management adequacy due to significant inter-country variations in disease burden and in the use of pain medications that are not reported by INCB.