LAUSR

Whether children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are more likely to be exposed to prescription opioids than others remains unknown. The Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database was employed, and 14,849 children and adolescents with ASD and 148,490 age‐ and sex‐matched non‐ASD controls were enrolled between 2001 and 2009 and followed up till the end of 2011. Those exposed to prescription opioids during the follow‐up period were identified. Patients with ASD were more likely to be exposed to prescription opioids (hazard ratio [HR]: 4.95, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 4.50–5.45), including intravenous or intramuscular opioids (HR: 5.80, 95% CI: 5.23–6.43) and oral or transcutaneous opioids (HR: 2.32, 95% CI: 1.87–2.89), than were non‐ASD controls. Furthermore, the ASD cohort had the increased likelihood of cumulative exposure of >14 days (HR: 6.19, 95% CI: 4.91–7.79) and >30 days (HR: 7.17, 95% CI: 5.19–9.90) to prescription opioids compared with the control cohort. ASD was a risk factor for exposure to prescription opioids. Close monitoring of prescription opioid use is necessary for at‐risk children and adolescents with ASD, such as those having with or chronic pain. We found that patients with ASD were more likely to be exposed to prescription opioids, including intravenous or intramuscular opioids and oral or transcutaneous opioids, than were non‐ASD controls. We suggest that close monitoring of prescription opioid use is necessary for at‐risk children and adolescents with ASD, such as those having with or chronic pain.