Researchers want to find ways to decrease the amount of leftover prescription opioids after people go to the emergency room. They also want to reduce the risk of opioid misuse and overdose. This study was titled “Opioid prescribing requirements to minimize unused medications after an emergency department visit for acute pain: a prospective cohort study.”
Overprescribing of opioids can increase the risk of misuse and overdose. Many people keep leftover opioids at home and that increases this risk because they do not dispose of them properly. Hence researchers conducted a study to find out the right amount of prescription opioids needed to control pain in patients who are discharged from the emergency department. They mainly wanted to reduce the number of unused opioids that can be misused.
This study was recently published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal. In this study, researchers involved 2,240 people. They had an average age of 51 years. They were asked to keep a diary for 14 days and also had follow-up phone interviews. Researchers asked them if they filled their prescriptions, how many opioid pills they used and if they filled any new prescriptions.
When researchers observed the collected data, they found that half of the participants received prescriptions for 16 tablets or more. But 63% of them did not use all the tablets. They also found that opioid use was not high. Many patients used them depending on the type of pain.
Researchers of this study said that doctors should prescribe different amounts of opioids based on the type of pain. They also suggested that they should prescribe 21 tablets for back pain or fractures and 8 tablets for abdominal or kidney pain. They also said the tablets should have an expiry date. Pharmacists can also give less opioids to people who need them. This can also reduce the risk of leftover drugs from being misused.
This study clearly shows that there is a need for some effective strategies to reduce the risk of opioid misuse or overdose. Hence doctors should be very careful while prescribing patients for opioids. They should check their type of pain and prescribe the number of tablets needed. This can effectively reduce this risk.
