es almost every surgical discipline,
according to Dr. Brummett, who
notes orthopods and otolaryngolo-
gists are particularly lagging in
addressing this issue, while general
surgeons and urologists are ahead
of the curve. He believes the key to
addressing the problem lies in
shared leverage of evidence-based
data.
For example, Michigan OPEN's
prescribing recommendations are
available online for use (michigan-
open.org/prescribing-recom-
mendations). "When I hear groups
say they're going to create pre-
scribing recommendations for sur-
geries for which we already have a
couple years' worth of data, I think that's a missed opportunity," says
Dr. Brummett. "Somebody's going to put a lot of time, energy and
effort into that. I'd rather see them take all that effort and energy and
put it toward implementation or other positive change rather than
simply recreating what we've already done."
The challenge of relieving a patient's post-operative pain by reducing
or even eliminating opioids from their regimen isn't an easy task, but
the effort to standardize opioids prescriptions based on procedure
type has game-changing potential for public health. It's taking a while,
but the movement is starting to gain traction.
"Overprescribing is less of a problem than it once was," says Dr.
Brummett. "But we still have a long way to go."
OSM
J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 0 • O U T PA T I E N T S U R G E R Y. N E T • 3 9
• HEALTHY AND HAPPY Research shows patients who are
prescribed fewer opioids don't feel significantly more pain or
are any less satisfied with the care they receive.
Margaret
Sherman,
RN