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Dyson MP, Dong K, Sevcik W, Graham SZ, Saba S, Hartling L, Ali S. Quantifying unused opioids following emergency and ambulatory care: A systematic review and meta-analysis. J Am Coll Emerg Physicians Open 2022; 3:e12822. [PMID: 36203538 PMCID: PMC9523453 DOI: 10.1002/emp2.12822] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2022] [Revised: 08/24/2022] [Accepted: 08/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective To quantify unused opioids among adult and pediatric patients discharged from the emergency department (ED) or ambulatory care settings with a prescription for acute pain. Methods We searched MEDLINE, Embase, CINHAL, PsycINFO, the Cochrane Library, and the gray literature from inception to April 29, 2021. We included observational studies in which any patient with an acutely painful condition received a prescription for an opioid on discharge from an outpatient care setting, and unused opioids were quantified. Two reviewers screened records for eligibility, extracted data, and conducted the quality assessment. Where possible, we pooled data and otherwise described the results of studies narratively. Total unused prescriptions were synthesized using a weighted average. Random effects models were used, and heterogeneity was measured by the I2 statistic. Our primary outcome was the quantity of unused opioid medication available after receiving a prescription for acute pain. Secondary outcomes were the proportion of patients with unused opioids following a prescription, the proportion of patients using no opioids, morphine equivalents of unused opioids, and factors associated with leftover opioids. Results In this systematic review and meta-analysis of 9 studies in emergency and ambulatory care settings, 59.6% of prescribed opioids remained unused; pediatric patients had 69.3% of their prescriptions remaining, compared to 54.6% among adult patients. The highest proportion of unused opioids was found following dental extractions (82.6%). Conclusions and Relevance More than 50% of opioids remain unused following prescriptions for acute pain. Responsible prescribing must be accompanied by education on safer use, storage, and disposal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michele P. Dyson
- Department of PediatricsUniversity of AlbertaEdmontonAlbertaCanada
| | - Kathryn Dong
- Department of Emergency MedicineUniversity of AlbertaEdmontonAlbertaCanada
- Inner City Health and Wellness ProgramRoyal Alexandra HospitalEdmontonAlbertaCanada
| | - William Sevcik
- Department of PediatricsUniversity of AlbertaEdmontonAlbertaCanada
- Department of Emergency MedicineUniversity of AlbertaEdmontonAlbertaCanada
| | - Samir Z. Graham
- Department of PediatricsUniversity of AlbertaEdmontonAlbertaCanada
| | - Sabrina Saba
- Department of PediatricsUniversity of AlbertaEdmontonAlbertaCanada
| | - Lisa Hartling
- Department of PediatricsUniversity of AlbertaEdmontonAlbertaCanada
| | - Samina Ali
- Department of PediatricsUniversity of AlbertaEdmontonAlbertaCanada
- Department of Emergency MedicineUniversity of AlbertaEdmontonAlbertaCanada
- Women and Children's Health Research InstituteUniversity of AlbertaEdmontonAlbertaCanada
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Young JC, Dasgupta N, Stürmer T, Pate V, Jonsson Funk M. Considerations for observational study design: Comparing the evidence of opioid use between electronic health records and insurance claims. Pharmacoepidemiol Drug Saf 2022; 31:913-920. [PMID: 35560685 PMCID: PMC9271595 DOI: 10.1002/pds.5452] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2021] [Revised: 03/03/2022] [Accepted: 05/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE Pharmacoepidemiology studies often use insurance claims and/or electronic health records (EHR) to capture information about medication exposure. The choice between these data sources has important implications. METHODS We linked EHR from a large academic health system (2015-2017) to Medicare insurance claims for patients undergoing surgery. Drug utilization was characterized based on medication order dates in the EHR, and prescription fill dates in Medicare claims. We compared opioid use documented in EHR orders to prescription claims in four time periods: 1) Baseline (182 days before surgery); 2) Perioperative period; 3) Discharge date; 4) Follow-up (90 days after surgery). RESULTS We identified 11 128 patients undergoing surgery. During baseline, 34.4% (EHR) versus 44.1% (claims) had evidence of opioid use, and 56.9% of all baseline use was reflected only in one data source. During the perioperative period, 78.8% (EHR) versus 47.6% (claims) had evidence of use. On the day of discharge, 59.6% (EHR) versus 45.5% (claims) had evidence of use, and 51.8% of all discharge use was reflected only in one data source. During follow-up, 4.3% (EHR) versus 10.4% (claims) were identified with prolonged opioid use following surgery with 81.4% of all prolonged use reflected only in one data source. CONCLUSIONS When characterizing opioid exposure, we found substantial discrepancies between EHR medication orders and prescription claims data. In all time periods assessed, most patients' use was reflected only in the EHR, or only in the claims, not both. The potential for misclassification of drug utilization must be evaluated carefully, and choice of data source may have large impacts on key study design elements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica C. Young
- Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 725 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd, Chapel Hill, NC 27599
| | - Nabarun Dasgupta
- Injury Prevention Research Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 725 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Chapel Hill, NC 27599
| | - Til Stürmer
- Department of Epidemiology, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 135 Dauer Drive, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599-7400, U.S.A
| | - Virginia Pate
- Department of Epidemiology, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 135 Dauer Drive, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599-7400, U.S.A
| | - Michele Jonsson Funk
- Department of Epidemiology, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 135 Dauer Drive, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599-7400, U.S.A
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Effect of a Multimodal Analgesic Protocol on Short-Term and Long-Term Opioid Use After Orthopaedic Trauma. J Orthop Trauma 2022; 36:326-331. [PMID: 34999625 DOI: 10.1097/bot.0000000000002346] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/04/2022] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To determine whether the use of a multimodal analgesic protocol reduced short-term and long-term opioid use in patients hospitalized after orthopaedic trauma. DESIGN Retrospective pre-post intervention study. SETTING Regional, academic, Level 1 trauma center in Central Kentucky. PATIENTS/PARTICIPANTS Patients were hospitalized after orthopaedic injury before (n = 393) and after (n = 378) the implementation of a multimodal analgesic protocol. INTERVENTION The intervention involved a multimodal analgesic protocol consisting of acetaminophen, ibuprofen/ketorolac, gabapentinoids, skeletal muscle relaxants, and standardized doses of opioids plus standardized pain management education before hospital discharge. MAIN OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS End points included discharge opioid prescription, days' supply and daily morphine milligram equivalent (MME), and long-term opioid use after hospitalization. Opioid use in the 90 days before and after hospitalization was assessed using state prescription drug monitoring program data. RESULTS Discharge opioid prescription rates were similar in the intervention and control cohorts [79.9% vs. 78.4%, odds ratio (OR) 1.30 (0.83-2.03), P = 0.256]. Patients in the intervention cohort received a shorter days' supply [5.7 ± 4.1 days vs. 8.1 ± 6.2 days, rate ratio 0.70 (0.65-0.76), P < 0.001] and lower average daily MME [34.8 ± 24.9 MME vs. 51.5 ± 44.0 MME, rate ratio 0.68 (0.62-0.75), P < 0.001]. The incidence of long-term opioid use was also significantly lower in the intervention cohort [7.7% vs. 12.0%, OR 0.53 (0.28-0.98), P = 0.044]. CONCLUSIONS Implementation of a multimodal analgesic protocol was associated with reductions in both short-term and long-term opioid use, including long-term opioid therapy, after orthopaedic trauma. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE Therapeutic Level III. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.
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Bachhuber MA, Nash D, Southern WN, Heo M, Berger M, Schepis M, Sugarman OK, Cunningham CO. Reducing Opioid Analgesic Prescribing in Dentistry Through Prescribing Defaults: A Cluster-Randomized Controlled Trial. PAIN MEDICINE 2022; 24:1-10. [PMID: 35792881 PMCID: PMC9825153 DOI: 10.1093/pm/pnac106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2021] [Revised: 06/22/2022] [Accepted: 06/29/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To determine the effect of a uniform, reduced, default dispense quantity for new opioid analgesic prescriptions on the quantity of opioids prescribed in dentistry practices. METHODS We conducted a cluster-randomized controlled trial within a health system in the Bronx, NY, USA. We randomly assigned three dentistry sites to a 10-tablet default, a 5-tablet default, or no change (control). The primary outcome was the quantity of opioid analgesics prescribed in the new prescription. Secondary outcomes were opioid analgesic reorders and health service utilization within 30 days after the new prescription. We analyzed outcomes from 6 months before implementation through 18 months after implementation. RESULTS Overall, 6,309 patients received a new prescription. Compared with the control site, patients at the 10-tablet-default site had a significantly larger change in prescriptions for 10 tablets or fewer (38.7 percentage points; confidence interval [CI]: 11.5 to 66.0), lower number of tablets prescribed (-3.3 tablets; CI: -5.9 to -0.7), and lower morphine milligram equivalents (MME) prescribed (-14.1 MME; CI: -27.8 to -0.4), which persisted in the 30 days after the new prescription despite a higher percentage of reorders (3.3 percentage points; CI: 0.2 to 6.4). Compared with the control site, patients at the 5-tablet-default site did not have a significant difference in any outcomes except for a significantly higher percentage of reorders (2.6 percentage points; CI: 0.2 to 4.9). CONCLUSIONS Our findings further support the efficacy of strategies that lower default dispense quantities, although they indicate that caution is warranted in the selection of the default. TRIAL REGISTRATION ClinicalTrials.org ID: NCT03030469.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcus A Bachhuber
- Correspondence to: Marcus A. Bachhuber, MD, MSHP, Section of Community and Population Medicine, Department of Medicine, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center-New Orleans, 533 Bolivar St., 5th Fl, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA. Tel: (504) 568-5700; Fax: (504) 568-5701; E-mail:
| | - Denis Nash
- Institute for Implementation Science in Population Health, City University of New York (CUNY), New York, New York,Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Graduate School of Public Health and Health Policy, City University of New York (CUNY), New York, New York
| | - William N Southern
- Division of Hospital Medicine, Montefiore Medical Center/Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York
| | - Moonseong Heo
- Division of General Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine, Montefiore Medical Center/Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York,This author is now with the Department of Public Health Sciences, College of Behavioral, Social and Health Sciences, Clemson University, Clemson, South Carolina, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
| | - Matthew Berger
- Montefiore Information Technology, Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, New York
| | - Mark Schepis
- Montefiore Information Technology, Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, New York
| | - Olivia K Sugarman
- Section of Community and Population Medicine, Department of Medicine, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center-New Orleans, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
| | - Chinazo O Cunningham
- Division of General Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine, Montefiore Medical Center/Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York
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Bachhuber MA, Nash D, Southern WN, Heo M, Berger M, Schepis M, Thakral M, Cunningham CO. Effect of Changing Electronic Health Record Opioid Analgesic Dispense Quantity Defaults on the Quantity Prescribed: A Cluster Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Netw Open 2021; 4:e217481. [PMID: 33885773 PMCID: PMC8063068 DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2021.7481] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
IMPORTANCE Interventions to improve judicious prescribing of opioid analgesics for acute pain are needed owing to the risks of diversion, misuse, and overdose. OBJECTIVE To assess the effect of modifying opioid analgesic prescribing defaults in the electronic health record (EHR) on prescribing and health service use. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS A cluster randomized clinical trial with 2 parallel arms was conducted between June 13, 2016, and June 13, 2018, in a large urban health care system comprising 32 primary care and 4 emergency department (ED) sites in the Bronx, New York. Data were analyzed using a difference-in-differences method from 6 months before implementation through 18 months after implementation. Data were analyzed from January 2019 to February 2020. INTERVENTIONS A default dispense quantity for new opioid analgesic prescriptions of 10 tablets (intervention) vs no change (control) in the EHR. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES The primary outcome was the quantity of opioid analgesics prescribed with the new default prescription. Secondary outcomes were opioid analgesic reorders and health service use within 30 days after the new prescription. Intention-to-treat analysis was conducted. RESULTS Overall, 21 331 patients received a new opioid analgesic prescription from 490 prescribers. Comparing the intervention and control arms, site, prescriber, and patient characteristics were similar. For the new prescription, compared with the control arm, patients in the intervention arm had significantly more prescriptions for 10 tablets or fewer (7.6 percentage points; 95% CI, 6.1-9.2 percentage points), a lower number of tablets prescribed (-2.1 tablets; 95% CI, -3.3 to -0.9 tablets), and lower morphine milligram equivalents (MME) prescribed (-14.6 MME; 95% CI, -22.6 to -6.6 MME). Within 30 days after the new prescription, significant differences remained in the number of tablets prescribed (-2.7 tablets; 95% CI, -4.8 to -0.6 tablets), but not MME (-15.8 MME; 95% CI, -33.8 to 2.2 MME). Within this 30-day period, there were no significant differences between the arms in health service use. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE In this study, implementation of a uniform reduced default dispense quantity of 10 tablets for opioid analgesic prescriptions led to a modest reduction in the quantity prescribed initially, without significantly increasing health service use. However, during 30 days after implementation, the influence on prescribing was mixed. Reducing EHR default dispense quantities for opioid analgesics is a feasible strategy that can be widely disseminated and may modestly reduce prescribing. TRIAL REGISTRATION ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03003832.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcus A. Bachhuber
- Division of General Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine, Montefiore Medical Center/Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York
- Now with Section of Community and Population Medicine, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center–New Orleans
| | - Denis Nash
- Institute for Implementation Science in Population Health, City University of New York, New York
- Graduate School of Public Health and Health Policy, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, City University of New York, New York, New York
| | - William N. Southern
- Division of Hospital Medicine, Montefiore Medical Center/Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York
| | - Moonseong Heo
- Division of General Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine, Montefiore Medical Center/Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York
- Now with College of Behavioral, Social and Health Sciences, Department of Public Health Sciences, Clemson University, Clemson, South Carolina
| | - Matthew Berger
- Montefiore Information Technology, Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, New York
| | - Mark Schepis
- Montefiore Information Technology, Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, New York
| | - Manu Thakral
- College of Nursing and Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts Boston, Boston
| | - Chinazo O. Cunningham
- Division of General Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine, Montefiore Medical Center/Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York
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Perceptions of Signs of Addiction Among Opioid Naive Patients Prescribed Opioids in the Emergency Department. J Addict Med 2021; 15:491-497. [PMID: 33560692 DOI: 10.1097/adm.0000000000000806] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Patient knowledge deficits related to opioid risks, including lack of knowledge regarding addiction, are well documented. Our objective was to characterize patients' perceptions of signs of addiction. METHODS This study utilized data obtained as part of a larger interventional trial. Consecutively discharged English-speaking patients, age >17 years, at an urban academic emergency department, with a new opioid prescription were enrolled from July 2015 to August 2017. During a follow-up phone interview 7 to 14 days after discharge, participants were asked a single question, "What are the signs of addiction to pain medicine?" Verbatim transcribed answers were analyzed using a directed content analysis approach and double coding. These codes were then grouped into themes. RESULTS There were 325 respondents, 57% female, mean age 43.8 years, 70.1% privately insured. Ten de novo codes were added to the 11 DSM-V criteria codes. Six themes were identified: (1) effort spent acquiring opioids, (2) emotional and physical changes related to opioid use, (3) opioid use that is "not needed, (4) increasing opioid use, (5) an emotional relationship with opioids, and (6) the inability to stop opioid use. CONCLUSIONS Signs of addiction identified by opioid naive patients were similar to concepts identified in medical definitions. However, participants' understanding also included misconceptions, omissions, and conflated misuse behaviors with signs of addiction. Identifying these differences will help inform patient-provider risk communication, providing an opportunity for counseling and prevention.
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Yande SD, Masurkar PP, Gopinathan S, S Sansgiry S. A naturalistic observation study of medication counseling practices at retail chain pharmacies. Pharm Pract (Granada) 2020; 18:1696. [PMID: 32206141 PMCID: PMC7075423 DOI: 10.18549/pharmpract.2020.1.1696] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2019] [Accepted: 01/19/2020] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE This study evaluated medication counseling procedures and trends at retail pharmacies in the Houston metropolitan area through a naturalistic observational study. METHODS A blinded cross-sectional observational study was conducted at retail pharmacies in the Houston metropolitan area. Data were collected by trained observers utilizing an observational log, to record various parameters that could have an impact on the duration of patient-pharmacist interaction in a naturalistic pharmacy practice setting. Additionally, indicators of counseling such as utilization of the counseling window and performance of show-and-tell were recorded. Statistical analyses included descriptive statistics, t-tests, Pearson correlations, ANOVAs, and multiple linear regressions. RESULTS One hundred and sixty-five interactions between patients and pharmacy staff were recorded at 45 retail pharmacies from 7 retail pharmacy chains. The counseling window was utilized in only 3 (1.81%) out of 165 observations and the show-and-tell process was observed in just 1(0.61%) interaction during this study. Mean (SD) interaction time between patient and pharmacists [159.50 (84.50)] was not statistically different (p>0.05) from the mean interaction time between patients and pharmacy technicians [139.30 (74.19)], irrespective of type of the retail chain observed. However, it was influenced by the number of patients waiting in queue. Patient wait time significantly differed by the time of the day the interaction was observed, weekends and weekdays had significantly different wait times and patient interaction times Multiple linear regression analyses indicated that, patient interaction time, pharmacy chain type, initial contact (pharmacist/technician), and time of the day, were significantly associated with patient wait time whereas patient wait time, pharmacy chain type, number of patients in queue, and number of pharmacy technician were significantly associated with interaction time. CONCLUSIONS Our study found that the key indicators of counseling including the use of the counseling window and the show-and-tell process were absent, suggesting lack of adequate pharmacists counseling. Further studies are needed to evaluate the validity of this conclusion and the role of pharmacy services and its value towards medication use and safety.
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Affiliation(s)
- Soham D Yande
- BPharm. Department of Pharmaceutical Health Outcomes and Policy, College of Pharmacy, University of Houston. Houston, TX (United States).
| | - Prajakta P Masurkar
- MPharm. Department of Pharmaceutical Health Outcomes and Policy, College of Pharmacy, University of Houston. Houston, TX (United States).
| | - Suma Gopinathan
- MPharm. Department of Pharmaceutical Health Outcomes and Policy, College of Pharmacy, University of Houston. Houston, TX (United States).
| | - Sujit S Sansgiry
- MS, PhD, Department of Pharmaceutical Health Outcomes and Policy, College of Pharmacy, University of Houston. Houston, TX (United States).
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