van den Driest JJ, et al. - Using the Integrated Primary Care Information database, researchers carried out a population-based cohort study to investigate the incidence, prevalence, and trends for opioid prescriptions in patients with OA (n = 157,904) and to explore types of opioids prescribed and long-term prescription rates. In addition, they used logistic regression to evaluate the patient characteristics correlated with the prescription of opioids. According to findings, opioid prescribing rates remained stable but types of prescribed opioids changed. Oxycodone and fentanyl have been increasingly prescribed, whereas prescriptions of paracetamol/codeine reduced. As the efficacy of opioids is uncertain for OA pain and side effects are common, opioids should be treated with caution. Increasing age, OA in ≥ 2 joint groups and the presence of other musculoskeletal disorders were factors related to more prescriptions.