2016 to 2022 Saw Drop in Rate of Opioid Prescriptions From Surgeons

THURSDAY, Dec. 7, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- From 2016 to 2022, there was a decrease in the rate and size of opioid prescriptions from U.S. surgeons, according to a research letter published online Dec. 7 in JAMA Network Open.

Jason Zhang, from the University of Michigan Medical School in Ann Arbor, and colleagues conducted a cross-sectional study to examine trends in opioid prescribing by surgeons from 2016 to 2022. The monthly surgical opioid dispensing rate (dispensed opioid prescriptions from surgeons per 100,000 people), monthly mean total morphine milligram equivalents (MMEs) per prescription, and monthly total MMEs per 100,000 people were examined.

During the study period, there were 140,586,250 opioid prescriptions for 67,922,137 patients. The researchers found that the monthly surgical opioid dispensing rate decreased 35.6 percent from 661.2 to 426.0 prescriptions per 100,000 people during January 2016 to December 2022. During January 2016 to January 2020, the rate decreased 0.89 percent per month, followed by a sharp decline then rebound during February to July 2020 and a 0.45 percent decline per month from August 2020 onward. During the study period, the monthly mean total MMEs per prescription decreased 46.4 percent, from 414.0 to 222.0, and the monthly total MMEs per 100,000 people decreased 65.5 percent, from 273,746 to 94,548. The decreases were less rapid after mid-2020.

"Despite large reductions in opioid prescribing, surgical opioid stewardship initiatives remain important," the authors write.

Several authors disclosed ties to the pharmaceutical industry.

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