01
July
2018
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07:00 AM
America/New_York

Hand Surgery Study: Education Curbs Opioid Prescribing

Pain Medicine News reported on study findings from HSS hand and upper extremity surgeon Duretti Fufa, MD, who investigated the effectiveness of mandatory education and postoperative guidelines for opioid prescribers.  

The study, "Opioid Prescriber Education and Guidelines Decreases Opioids Prescribed after Ambulatory Hand Story," was presented at the 2018 American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons Annual Meeting.

According to the article, study participants attended a one-hour opioid education program. Afterward, the number of opioid pills prescribed after hand surgery decreased by 45 percent.

"Our results suggest that similar nationwide standardized prescriber education and opioid prescribing guidelines will likely reduce the amount of opioids prescribed after ambulatory hand surgery," said Dr. Fufa.

"We have extended our hand study to between nine to 11 months following the guidelines and have seen a continued trend down in the pills prescribed," Dr. Fufa added.

Read the full article at painmedicinenews.com [subscription required]. This also appeared in the July 2018 print issue.