show frequently occurring keyphrases include: pain management, opioid antagonists (such as naloxone), prescription drug
The Opioid Epidemic in America
The Research Behind Understanding, Preventing and Treating Addiction
Both opioids and the current epidemic have long been a focus of scientific research; with Scopus® data from 2011-2016, we used SciVal to analyze scholarly output, research impact, trending topics, and top researchers on both topics.
The past 50 years have seen a growing epidemic of opioid addiction and abuse emerge in the United States; in 2015 alone, opioid medications, both legal and illegal, caused over 30,000 fatalities, triple the number of overdoses reported the entire 15 years prior.1
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Research Referencing Opioids (1950-2015) Worldwide, research referencing opioids in any context increased by a factor of 54 between 1950 and 20152
Global USA
10,000 9086
8172
8,047 8118
8184 8246
8435
8704
8734 8480
7720
8,000 Publications
8315
7357
6422
5,843 5870
6,000
5255
4,652 4467 3874
3833
4,000
4340
4528
4458 3754
4350
4564
5056
5213 5274 5271
5407
3902 3976
3360
2,726 273928002810
2991 2717
2231 1713
2,000
155161 24 25
659
467 258 237 228 213 213 194 214 236 163 179 212 100 20 26 32 19 33 32 39 33 37 48 45 69
497 89477
1,013 856
663 733 546 640
761
1251 1122 1167 1163 1152 1,088
1,817 1447
1417
2,020
2007 20592030 21012095 1992 1991 2102 1578 1644 1554
1329
1460 1491
2852
3029
3,0453020 2882
2890 2962
3022
3204
3326
3288 3161
2284
1642 1556 1680
221
179 79 89 119 104 113
1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015
0
4151
4833
Research output referencing opioids, 1950-2015
Top Journals Based on number of publications referencing opioids
Anesthesia & Analgesia
4,242 publications
European Journal of Pharmacology
3,348 publications
Anesthesiology Journal
2,983 publications
British Journal of Anaesthesia
2,970 publications
Journal of Pharmacology & Experimental Therapeutics
2,962 publications
All data taken from SciVal or Scopus on May 31, 2017. Scopus® data from January 1, 1950 to December 31, 2016 and includes all publication types (articles, papers, surveys, reviews, editorials, etc.) where search terms were mentioned in the title, abstract, or keywords.
About SciVal SciVal offers quick, easy access to the research performance of 8,500 research institutions and 220 countries worldwide. For more information, visit scival.com.
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About Scopus Scopus® is the world’s leading abstract and citation database, and is used by institutions, governments, as well as for university rankings around the world. For more information, visit scopus.com.
The Opioid Epidemic in America
The Research Behind Understanding, Preventing and Treating Addiction
Opioid Misuse & Addiction in the United States Data from the U.S. National Institute on Drug Abuse indicates:3
Roughly
Between
An estimated
Approximately
of patients prescribed opioids for chronic pain misuse them
develop an opioid use disorder
who misuse prescription opioids transition to heroin
of people who use heroin first misused prescription opioids
21-29%
8-12%
4-6%
80%
Research Referencing Opioid Addiction (1950-2016) 4 Scholarly output focused on opioid addiction represents a fraction of all research referencing opioids, with a particularly noticeable spike between 1969 and 1974:
The most prolific institutions focused on opioid addiction, use disorder, misuse & overdoses over the last 65 years are largely from the United States:
50%
Publications 1950-2016
40%
30%
20%
10%
2013
Percentage of all opioid-referencing research focused on addiction, 1950-2016
2016
2010
2007
2001
2004
1995
1998
1992
1989
1983
1986
1977
1980
1971
1974
1965
1968
1959
1962
1953
1956
1950
0
Institution
Country
1,107
VA Medical Center
US
669
Yale University School of Medicine
US
586
National Institute on Drug Abuse
US
536
Harvard Medical School
US
471
King's College London
UK
446
University of Pennsylvania
US
438
The Johns Hopkins School of Medicine
US
420
University of California, San Francisco
US
408
University of California, Los Angeles
US
404
University of New South Wales
AUS
Cocaine-Related Disorders
Maintenance
Research focused on treatment and prevention of opioid addiction show frequently occurring keyphrases include: pain management, opioid antagonists (such as naloxone), prescription drug misuse, and opioid substitution treatment. SciVal’s word cloud previews the growing (orange) and declining (blue) keywords and phrases found in this research area.
Pain Management
Naltrexone Harm Reduction
Comorbidity
Therapeutics
Cocaine
Heroin Dependence Narcotic Antagonists Receptors, Opioid, mu
Substance-Related Disorders
Methadone
Pain
Opioid-Related Disorders Drug Users
Oxycodone
Buprenorphine Alcohols
Prescription Drugs
Heroin
Analgesics, Opioid
Pharmaceutical Preparations Injections
Morphine Dependence Methamphetamine
Narcotics
Chronic Pain
Drug Overdose
Reward
Opiate Substitution Treatment
HIV
Patients Prescriptions
Naloxone
Cannabis
Morphine
Substance Abuse Detection
Street Drugs
Risk Substance Withdrawal Syndrome Primary Health Care Prescription Drug Misuse
1) Rudd, R. A., Seth, P., David, F., & Scholl, L. (2016). Increases in Drug and Opioid-Involved Overdose Deaths — United States, 2010–2015. MMWR. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, 65 (5051), 1445-1452. doi:10.15585/mmwr.mm655051e1
3) National Institute on Drug Abuse. (2017). Opioid Crisis. Retrieved May, 2017, from https://www.drugabuse.gov/drugs-abuse/opioids/opioid-crisis
2) Search performed in Scopus using the following terms: “opioid, opiate, fentanyl, hydrocodone, oxycodone, oxymorphone, propoxyphene, hydromorphone, meperidine, pethidine, diphenoxylate, methadone, morphine, or codeine“
4) Search performed in Scopus using the following terms: “opioid, opiate, fentanyl, hydrocodone, oxycodone, oxymorphone, propoxyphene, hydromorphone, meperidine, pethidine, diphenoxylate, methadone, morphine, codeine, or heroin”, AND "addiction, 'use disorder,' misuse, or overdose"