LAUSR

Key Points Question Is long-term prescription opioid therapy for noncancer pain associated with hepatitis C virus (HCV) seroconversion among individuals who initially had no history of injection drug use? Findings In this cohort study of 382 478 individuals who had a baseline negative HCV test followed by at least 1 additional test, long-term prescription opioid therapy among those who were initially injection drug use–naive was associated with a statistically significant 3.2-fold higher risk of HCV seroconversion vs no long-term therapy. Overall, approximately 1% of exposed individuals seroconverted within 5 years. Meaning The findings of this study suggest that the risk of injection drug use initiation may be higher among people dispensed long-term prescription opioid therapy, leading to increased HCV seroconversion risk.