Abstract
Background: High-dose opioids prescribed for the treatment of chronic pain have been associated with increased risk of opioid overdose. Health systems and states have responded by developing opioid dose limitation policies. Little is known about how these policies affect prescribing practices or characteristics of patients who respond best to opioid tapers from high-dose opioids. Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study to evaluate change in total opioid dose after the implementation of a provider education intervention and a 120 mg morphine equivalents per day (MED) opioid dose limitation policy in one academic primary care clinic. We compared opioid prescriptions 1 year before and 1 year after the intervention. We used univariate and multivariate logistic regression to assess which patient characteristics predicted opioid dose reduction from high opioid dose. Results: Out of a total of 516 patients prescribed chronic opioid therapy, 116 patients (22%) were prescribed high-dose opioid therapy (>120 mg MED). After policy adoption, the average daily dose of opioids declined by 64 mg MED (95% confidence interval [CI]: 32-96; P
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 141-147 |
| Number of pages | 7 |
| Journal | Substance Abuse |
| Volume | 37 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Jan 2 2016 |
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Keywords
- chronic opioid therapy
- Chronic pain
- morphine equivalent per day
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Medicine (miscellaneous)
- Psychiatry and Mental health
Cite this
A chronic opioid therapy dose reduction policy in primary care. / Weimer, Melissa; Hartung, Daniel M.; Ahmed, Sharia; Nicolaidis, Christina.
In: Substance Abuse, Vol. 37, No. 1, 02.01.2016, p. 141-147.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - A chronic opioid therapy dose reduction policy in primary care
AU - Weimer, Melissa
AU - Hartung, Daniel M.
AU - Ahmed, Sharia
AU - Nicolaidis, Christina
PY - 2016/1/2
Y1 - 2016/1/2
N2 - Background: High-dose opioids prescribed for the treatment of chronic pain have been associated with increased risk of opioid overdose. Health systems and states have responded by developing opioid dose limitation policies. Little is known about how these policies affect prescribing practices or characteristics of patients who respond best to opioid tapers from high-dose opioids. Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study to evaluate change in total opioid dose after the implementation of a provider education intervention and a 120 mg morphine equivalents per day (MED) opioid dose limitation policy in one academic primary care clinic. We compared opioid prescriptions 1 year before and 1 year after the intervention. We used univariate and multivariate logistic regression to assess which patient characteristics predicted opioid dose reduction from high opioid dose. Results: Out of a total of 516 patients prescribed chronic opioid therapy, 116 patients (22%) were prescribed high-dose opioid therapy (>120 mg MED). After policy adoption, the average daily dose of opioids declined by 64 mg MED (95% confidence interval [CI]: 32-96; P
AB - Background: High-dose opioids prescribed for the treatment of chronic pain have been associated with increased risk of opioid overdose. Health systems and states have responded by developing opioid dose limitation policies. Little is known about how these policies affect prescribing practices or characteristics of patients who respond best to opioid tapers from high-dose opioids. Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study to evaluate change in total opioid dose after the implementation of a provider education intervention and a 120 mg morphine equivalents per day (MED) opioid dose limitation policy in one academic primary care clinic. We compared opioid prescriptions 1 year before and 1 year after the intervention. We used univariate and multivariate logistic regression to assess which patient characteristics predicted opioid dose reduction from high opioid dose. Results: Out of a total of 516 patients prescribed chronic opioid therapy, 116 patients (22%) were prescribed high-dose opioid therapy (>120 mg MED). After policy adoption, the average daily dose of opioids declined by 64 mg MED (95% confidence interval [CI]: 32-96; P
KW - chronic opioid therapy
KW - Chronic pain
KW - morphine equivalent per day
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84961673898&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=84961673898&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1080/08897077.2015.1129526
DO - 10.1080/08897077.2015.1129526
M3 - Article
C2 - 26685018
AN - SCOPUS:84961673898
VL - 37
SP - 141
EP - 147
JO - Substance Abuse
JF - Substance Abuse
SN - 0889-7077
IS - 1
ER -