No Change in Number of Post-Op Opioid Prescriptions, But Dosages Drop

By By Cara Murez HealthDay Reporter, HealthDay Reporter

TUESDAY, Oct. 25, 2022 (HealthDay News) — New investigation out of Canada provides some encouraging information amid fears about the opioid epidemic.

Doctors are prescribing a lessen dose of the painkillers after older grown ups have medical procedures, the study identified. They are not, having said that, composing less prescriptions for the probably addictive medicines.

“Whilst it really is fantastic news that the doses in opioid prescriptions are remaining minimized, the truth that the genuine number of opioid prescriptions stuffed has remained the exact displays there is nonetheless an prospect for advancement,” explained study writer Dr. Naheed Jivraj, a fellow in vital care drugs at the College of Toronto.

“That is significantly accurate for methods affiliated with small postoperative soreness that can be correctly controlled with non-opioid drugs such as acetaminophen and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory prescription drugs [NSAIDs],” Jivraj said.

His team studied records of a lot more than 278,000 folks in Ontario who ended up more mature than 65 when they experienced 1 of 14 surgical treatments in between 2013 and 2019.

Their strategies integrated removing of the thyroid, appendix, gallbladder, prostate, colon and breast, as perfectly as hernia mend, open-coronary heart surgical treatment, hysterectomy and hip and knee substitution.

For the duration of the review interval, far more sufferers filled prescriptions for non-opioid agony relievers such as acetaminophen or a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug. The percentage rose from 9{6f90f2fe98827f97fd05e0011472e53c8890931f9d0d5714295052b72b9b5161} in 2013 to 28{6f90f2fe98827f97fd05e0011472e53c8890931f9d0d5714295052b72b9b5161} in 2019.

Most of clients also gained a prescription that contained an opioid. In 2013, 76{6f90f2fe98827f97fd05e0011472e53c8890931f9d0d5714295052b72b9b5161} been given an opioid prescription, as did 75{6f90f2fe98827f97fd05e0011472e53c8890931f9d0d5714295052b72b9b5161} in 2019.

More than that time, the typical dose dropped from 317 MME (morphine milligram equivalent) to an common 260 MME.

Sufferers who have selected methods, these as appendix or thyroid removing, can typically decrease their pain with acetaminophen or an NSAID. However the research discovered that few people who had these strategies stuffed prescriptions for these non-opioid possibilities.

The findings were being presented Saturday in New Orleans at a assembly of the American Culture of Anesthesiologists.

Restricting use of opioids is crucial since they can have big side effects, lead to addiction and cause a probably fatal overdose.

“Our research highlights how suffering administration methods are altering immediately after operation,” Jivraj claimed in a meeting information release.

“The boost in seniors filling non-opioid prescriptions and the lower opioid dose may replicate the advancement of operation-specific prescribing guidelines and the escalating use of anesthesiologist-championed Enhanced Restoration After Operation protocols and other packages that concentrate on strengthening client results,” he mentioned.

Findings presented at professional medical meetings are viewed as preliminary right until revealed in a peer-reviewed journal.

The U.S. Section of Overall health and Human Providers has far more on the opioid epidemic.

Resource: American Culture of Anesthesiologists, information launch, Oct. 22, 2022

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