The past 50 years have seen a growing epidemic of opioid addiction and abuse emerge in the United States. Both opioids and the current epidemic have long been a focus of scientific research; with Scopus® data from 2011-2016, we used SciVal to analyze scholarly output, research impact, trending topics, and top researchers on both topics. You can find more information and data here: https://www.elsevier.com/research-intelligence/campaigns/the-opioid-epidemic-in-america

1. All data taken from SciVal or Scopus on May 31, 2017. Scopus® data from January 1, 1950 to
December 31, 2016 and includes all publication types (articles, papers, surveys, reviews, editorials, etc.)
where search terms were mentioned in the title, abstract, or keywords.
© 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. SciVal is a trademark of RELX Intellectual Properties SA.
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well as for university rankings around the world. For more information, visit scopus.com.
Global
USA
The Opioid Epidemic in America
The Research Behind Understanding, Preventing and Treating Addiction
Research Referencing Opioids (1950-2015)
Top Journals
Worldwide, research referencing opioids in any context
increased by a factor of 54 between 1950 and 20152
Based on number of publications referencing opioids
Anesthesia &
Analgesia
4,242
publications
European Journal
of Pharmacology
3,348
publications
Anesthesiology
Journal
2,983
publications
British Journal
of Anaesthesia
2,970
publications
Journal of Pharmacology &
Experimental Therapeutics
2,962
publications
The past 50 years have seen a growing epidemic of opioid
addiction and abuse emerge in the United States; in 2015
alone, opioid medications, both legal and illegal, caused over
30,000 fatalities, triple the number of overdoses reported the
entire 15 years prior.1
Both opioids and the current epidemic have long been a focus
of scientific research; with Scopus® data from 2011-2016,
we used SciVal to analyze scholarly output, research impact,
trending topics, and top researchers on both topics.
Request more information on SciVal
Research output referencing opioids, 1950-2015
497
89161 163 179 212 258 237 228 213 213 194 214 236
467
659
477 546 640 663 733
856
2231
273928002810
2991
3360
3833
4467
4,652
3874
4151
4340
4458
3754
39023976
4528
4350
4564
4833
5255
5056
5213 5274 5271
5407
5870
6422
7357
7720
8172 8118
8315
8184 8246
8435
8704
9086
8480
25 20 26 32 19 33 32 39 33 37 48 45 69 100 79 89 119 104 113 179
761
1122 1167 1163 1152
1251
1417
1713 1,817
1447
1578 1644 1554
1329
14601491
1642 1556
1680
200720592030 21012095
1992 1991
2102
2284
2717
2852
3029
2882
3020
289029623022
3204
3326 3288
Publications
0
2,000
4,000
6,000
8,000
10,000
1950
1951
1952
1953
1954
1955
1956
1957
1958
1959
1960
1961
1962
1963
1964
1965
1966
1967
1968
1969
1970
1971
1972
1973
1974
1975
1976
1977
1978
1979
1980
1981
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
1,013
221
2,726
1,088
8734
3161
8,047
3,045
5,843
2,020
155
24

2. 1) Rudd, R. A., Seth, P., David, F., & Scholl, L. (2016). Increases in Drug and Opioid-Involved Overdose
Deaths — United States, 2010–2015. MMWR. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, 65 (5051),
1445-1452. doi:10.15585/mmwr.mm655051e1
2) Search performed in Scopus using the following terms: “opioid, opiate, fentanyl, hydrocodone,
oxycodone, oxymorphone, propoxyphene, hydromorphone, meperidine, pethidine, diphenoxylate,
methadone, morphine, or codeine“
3) National Institute on Drug Abuse. (2017). Opioid Crisis. Retrieved May, 2017, from
https://www.drugabuse.gov/drugs-abuse/opioids/opioid-crisis
4) Search performed in Scopus using the following terms: “opioid, opiate, fentanyl, hydrocodone,
oxycodone, oxymorphone, propoxyphene, hydromorphone, meperidine, pethidine, diphenoxylate,
methadone, morphine, codeine, or heroin”, AND "addiction, 'use disorder,' misuse, or overdose"
Data from the U.S. National Institute on Drug Abuse indicates:3
Research Referencing Opioid Addiction (1950-2016)4
Scholarly output focused on opioid addiction represents a
fraction of all research referencing opioids, with a particularly
noticeable spike between 1969 and 1974:
The most prolific institutions focused on opioid addiction,
use disorder, misuse & overdoses over the last 65 years are
largely from the United States:
Research focused on treatment and prevention of opioid addiction
show frequently occurring keyphrases include: pain management,
opioid antagonists (such as naloxone), prescription drug misuse,
and opioid substitution treatment. SciVal’s word cloud previews
the growing (orange) and declining (blue) keywords and phrases
found in this research area.
The Opioid Epidemic in America
The Research Behind Understanding, Preventing and Treating Addiction
Roughly
21-29%of patients prescribed opioids
for chronic pain misuse them
Between
8-12%develop an opioid use
disorder
An estimated
4-6%who misuse prescription
opioids transition to heroin
Approximately
80%of people who use heroin first
misused prescription opioids
Publications
1950-2016
1,107
669
586
536
471
446
438
420
408
404
Institution
VA Medical Center
Yale University School of Medicine
National Institute on Drug Abuse
Harvard Medical School
King's College London
University of Pennsylvania
The Johns Hopkins School of Medicine
University of California, San Francisco
University of California, Los Angeles
University of New South Wales
Analgesics, Opioid
Methadone
Buprenorphine
HeroinTherapeutics
Substance-Related Disorders
Opioid-Related Disorders
Opiate Substitution Treatment
Pharmaceutical Preparations
Pain
Chronic Pain
Heroin Dependence Naloxone
Prescriptions
Morphine
PatientsNaltrexone
Alcohols
Cocaine
Narcotic Antagonists
Drug Users
Drug Overdose
Street Drugs
Pain Management
Maintenance
Prescription Drugs
CannabisHIV
Receptors, Opioid, mu
Cocaine-Related Disorders
Substance Withdrawal Syndrome
Prescription Drug Misuse
Narcotics
Morphine Dependence
Risk
Reward
Oxycodone
Methamphetamine
Substance Abuse Detection
Comorbidity
Harm Reduction
Injections
Primary Health Care
Opioid Misuse & Addiction in the United States
Percentage of all opioid-referencing research focused on addiction, 1950-2016
0
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
1950
1953
1956
1959
1962
1965
1968
1971
1974
1977
1980
1983
1986
1989
1992
1995
1998
2001
2004
2007
2010
2013
2016
Country
US
US
US
US
UK
US
US
US
US
AUS