| Variable | Initiator; no. (%) of patients* | Standardized difference† | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Emergency physician | Family physician | ||
| > 1 prescription dispensed | 217 (0.6) | 339 (0.7) | 0.01 |
| Formulation | |||
| Long-acting | 87 (0.2) | 1048 (2.3) | 0.18 |
| Short-acting | 34 598 (99.7) | 44 779 (97.4) | 0.19 |
| Both | 28 (0.1) | 125 (0.3) | 0.05 |
| Opioid type | |||
| 2 different opioids | 183 (0.5) | 245 (0.5) | 0.0 |
| 1 opioid | |||
| Combination product | 31 991 (92.2) | 41 941 (91.3) | 0.03 |
| Codeine combination | 20 117 (62.9) | 35 005 (83.5) | 0.48 |
| Oxycodone combination | 11 874 (37.1) | 6936 (16.5) | 0.48 |
| Single-agent products | 2539 (7.3) | 3766 (8.2) | 0.03 |
| Codeine | 328 (12.9) | 1563 (41.5) | 0.68 |
| Morphine | 804 (31.7) | 592 (15.7) | 0.38 |
| Fentanyl | ≤ 5‡ | 89 (2.4) | > 0.1 |
| Oxycodone | 33 (1.3) | 394 (10.5) | 0.40 |
| Hydromorphone | 1128 (44.4) | 813 (21.6) | 0.50 |
| Meperidine | 241-245‡ | 315 (8.4) | < 0.1 |
| Dosage, MEQs/d | |||
| Median (IQR) | 38 (25-50) | 19 (13-32) | 0.90 |
| < 20 mg | 5782 (16.6) | 23 596 (51.3) | 0.79 |
| 20-49 mg | 19 123 (55.1) | 17 684 (38.5) | 0.34 |
| 50-99 mg | 8739 (25.2) | 4238 (9.2) | 0.43 |
| 100-199 mg | 1069 (3.1) | 434 (0.9) | 0.15 |
Note: IQR = interquartile range, MEQ = morphine equivalent.
*Except where noted otherwise.
†Imbalance defined as absolute value greater than 0.10 (small effect size).
‡In cases in which the number in the cell is less than 6, this number has been suppressed to ensure confidentiality. In cases in which only 1 record is being suppressed, another record has been suppressed to provide a range in order to avoid residual disclosure.