Median Household Income

The correlation between median household income and meperidine distribution strengthened substantially from 2022 (r = −0.38) to 2023 (r = −0.58). An inverse relationship between median household income and per-capita meperidine distribution was statistically significant in both 2022 and 2023. Meperidine's relatively low cost is proposed as the mechanism driving its higher use in lower-income healthcare settings, particularly for labour analgesia. The income-meperidine association raises equity questions about whether cost barriers prevent providers in lower-income regions from prescribing safer, more expensive opioid alternatives.