International trends in prescription opioid sales among developed and developing economies, and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic: A cross-sectional analysis of 66 countries.

The COVID-19 pandemic led to disruptions in opioid purchasing around the world; although the specific impacts varied both between and among developed and developing economies. With global variation in opioid use, there is a need to monitor these trajectories to ensure the safety of opioid use, and adequate access to pain management globally.