LAUSR

Key Points Question How did fills of opioid prescriptions change among postpartum women after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic? Findings In this cross-sectional study of 460 371 privately insured postpartum women, patients who gave birth to a single, live newborn after March 2020 were more likely to fill more potent and more frequent opioid prescriptions than patients who gave birth prior to March 2020. Increases were larger for patients delivering via cesarean birth than those delivering vaginally. Meaning This study suggests that women who gave birth after March 2020 experienced increased exposure to opioids during the postpartum period.