  The majority of Medicare opioid prescriptions originate with family practice
and internal medicine providers.
  I show that the average number of Medicare opium prescriptions by these
providers vary strongly by state and that 54% of the variance is accounted for
by the state median household income. I also show that there is a very similar
relationship in opioid claims per capita and per Medicare recipient.
  In all cases Alabama is the state with the most claims and Hawaii is the
state with the least claims.
