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Study Design.

Retrospective longitudinal cohort analysis of patients diagnosed in 2010, with continuous enrollment 6 months prior to and 12 months following the initial visit.

Objective.

To determine whether provider specialty influences patterns of opiate utilization long after initial diagnosis.

Summary of Background Data.

Patients with low back pain present to a variety of providers and receive a spectrum of treatments, including opiate medications. The impact of initial provider type on opiate use in this population is uncertain.

Methods.

We performed a retrospective analysis of opiate-naïve adult patients in the United States with newly diagnosed low back or lower extremity pain. We estimated the risk of early opiate prescription (≤ 14 d from diagnosis) and long-term opiate use (≥ six prescriptions in 12 mo) based on the provider type at initial diagnosis using multivariable logistic regression, adjusting for patient …