Multiple opioid prescribers: A genuine quest for treatment rather than aberrant behaviour. A two-decade population-based study

•Patients were >4 times more likely to obtain dispensed prescriptions from ≥3 prescribers within 30 days of commencing opioid treatment.•The longer the duration of dispensing, the lower the odds of multiple doctor visits therefore, a clinically indicated treatment may have necessitated multiple doctor visits.•Patients dispensed ≥100MME/day are two times more likely to access ≥3 prescribers or ≥4 prescribers for prescriptions compared to those dispensed