(116) Sex Differences Among Users of NSAIDs and Opioids During COVID-19 Pandemic in Manitoba, Canada

Sunday, August 28, 2022

8:00 AM – 1:45 PM CEST

Location: Hall C

Publication Number: 1161

Presenting Author(s)

Roseanne Offiah
– University of Exeter Medical School, Exeter, Devon, United Kingdom

Co-Author(s)

Laila Nabil Mahmoud Helmy Aboulatta
– PhD student, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
Payam Peymani, PharmD
– Postdoctoral Fellow, The University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
Basma Aloud
– University of Manitoba, MB, Canada
Kaarina Kowalec
– Assistant Professor, College of Pharmacy, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Manitoba, MB, Canada
Christine Leong
– Assistant Professor, College of Pharmacy, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Manitoba, Canada
Joseph Delaney, PhD
– Associate Professor, College of Pharmacy, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
Jamie Falk
– Associate Professor, College of Pharmacy, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Manitoba, MB, Canada
Silvia Alessi-Severini
– Professor, College of Pharmacy, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada., MB, Canada
Sherif Eltonsy, PhD
– Assistant Professor, University of Manitoba, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada

Background: Sex-based inequalities in healthcare have been exposed and amplified during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, few studies have reported sex differences in medication utilization and no studies have examined sex differences in prescribed non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and opioids utilization.

Objectives: To compare the utilization patterns of NSAIDs and opioids between males and females in Manitoba, Canada during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods: A cohort of incident and prevalent users of NSAIDs and opioids was created. Interrupted times series analysis using autoregressive models were used to evaluate the quarterly change in the prevalent and incident users before and after COVID-19 restrictions were applied (first quarter of 2020).

Results: COVID-19 restrictions were associated with a significant decrease in the utilization of NSAIDs and opioids in all users, followed by a revert to the pre-pandemic trends. Among female prevalent and incident NSAIDs users, there was a significant change in trend after COVID-19 restrictions were introduced (β3 = 0.087 and 0.078, p = 0.023 and 0.028, respectively). However, there was non-significant change in trend among male prevalent and incident NSAIDs and opioids users during the pandemic.

Conclusions: In this study, a significant sharp decline in the use of NSAIDs and opioids was shown in both sexes at the onset of the pandemic, with a greater decline observed in females. As restrictions began to be lifted, a significant upward trend is observed in female NSAIDs users. Further research is needed to determine the sex-based disparities during the COVID-19 pandemic.