Do Opioids Help Injured Workers Recover and Get Back to Work? The Impact of Opioid Prescriptions on Duration of Temporary Disability

We estimate the effect of opioid prescriptions on the duration of temporary disability benefits among workers with work-related low-back injuries, based on variation in local opioid prescribing patterns, which predict whether injured workers receive opioid prescriptions. More longer term opioid prescribing leads to considerably lengthier durations of temporary disability.