Millennium Health Signals Alert™ shows alcohol consumption among at-risk patients continues to increase during the pandemic

Urine drug testing data shows alarming, sustained rise in alcohol consumption among people with alcohol dependence; may be higher as summer peak approaches

SAN DIEGO, May 21, 2024–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Alcohol consumption has increased in the U.S. during the COVID-19 pandemic, but a new Millennium Health Signals Alert™ shows it increased most dramatically and continues to increase among people with alcohol use disorder (AUD). ; up more than 20% nationwide since 2019. This in-depth analysis of more than 430,000 urine drug test (UDT) results also shows that patients with AUD are more than twice as likely to be diagnosed with alcohol use as those without AUD.

“These findings are eye-opening and show that the pandemic has had a lasting negative impact on this high-risk group of patients. “We are bringing attention to this issue now as our data also shows that alcohol consumption tends to increase in the summer,” said Millennium Health Chief Clinical Officer Angela Huskey, PharmD, CPE. “As the country continues to grapple with a devastating drug overdose crisis, we must remember that excessive alcohol consumption kills nearly 180,000 Americans each year. That’s more than fentanyl and all other drug overdoses combined.”

Millennium Health researchers reported an increase in alcohol detection among people with AUD across most of the United States. The states with the largest increases were Arizona, Arkansas, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, North Carolina, New York and Utah.

The alert also examined the relationship between recent alcohol consumption and other drug use. Compared to patients with AUD who had not recently consumed alcohol, they were significantly more likely to use cocaine, methamphetamine, cannabis, and benzodiazepines. which further jeopardizes their recovery.

“With this alert, we hope to raise awareness among physicians, communities, health authorities, advocacy groups and policymakers about these concerning trends,” said Scott Walton, Chief Executive Officer of Millennium Health. “Now is the time to act. Because the health consequences of excessive alcohol consumption are often delayed, the impact of a worrying increase in alcohol consumption in this vulnerable population could be felt for years to come.”

methodology

This Signal Alert represents an analysis of urine drug test results from urine samples (N=434,641) collected between January 1, 2018 and March 15, 2024. Samples included were from patients 18 years of age or older and collected from healthcare practices in all 50 states. A single sample per patient was selected based on the earliest collection date. All patient samples were linked to an ICD-10 SUD diagnosis code and were ordered by the physician and tested for alcohol. Further details on the drugs analyzed and statistical methods can be found in the alert.

The story goes on

A copy of the warning can be found here.

About Millennium Health

Millennium Health is an accredited specialty laboratory that provides medication monitoring through definitive urine and oral fluid drug testing to support improved clinical decision-making in the treatment of millions of Americans with chronic pain, mental illness, substance use disorders and other health conditions. Drug testing is designed to provide objective information about patients’ recent use of prescription medications and/or illicit drugs and to help monitor the effectiveness of treatment plans. We also track new trends in drug use in real time to help researchers, public health officials and policymakers address the significant increase in drug overdose deaths.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240520017267/en/

contacts

Jody Schneider
Millennium Health
[email protected]
619-917-6810