Opioid prescribing exceeds consumption following common surgical oncology procedures.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Surgical oncology patients are vulnerable to persistent opioid use. As such, we aim to compare opioid prescribing to opioid consumption for common surgical oncology procedures. METHODS: We prospectively identified patients undergoing common surgical oncology procedures at a single academic institution (August 2017-March 2018). Patients were contacted by telephone within 6 months of surgery and asked to report their opioid consumption and describe their discharge instructions and opioid handling practices. RESULTS: Of the 439 patients who were approached via telephone, 270 completed at least one survey portion. The median quantity of opioid prescribed was significantly larger than consumed following breast biopsy (5 vs. 2 tablets of 5 mg oxycodone, p < .001), lumpectomy (10 vs. 2 tablets of 5 mg oxycodone, p < .001), and mastectomy or wide local excision (20 tablets vs. 2 tablets of 5 mg oxycodone, p < .001). The majority of patients reported receiving education on taking opioids, but only 27% received instructions on proper disposal; 82% of prescriptions filled resulted in unused opioids, and only 11% of these patients safely disposed of them. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates that opioid prescribing exceeds consumption following common surgical oncology procedures, indicating the potential for reductions in prescribing.

Association of caregiver-reported education with locked storage and disposal of prescription opioids after children's surgery.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to assess whether caregiver-reported storage and disposal education were associated with locked opioid storage and disposal of leftover opioids after children's surgery. METHODS: Caregivers of children <18 years who were prescribed an opioid were surveyed 7-21 days after surgery at an academic children's hospital (4/1/2018-3/31/2019) on opioid-related education and management practices (54% response rate). Multivariable logistic regression models were estimated for locked storage and disposal of leftover opioids as functions of storage and disposal education, adjusting for demographics, procedure, prescription characteristics, and postoperative day at time of survey. MAIN FINDINGS: Among 606 respondents, storage education was reported by 366 (60.4%) and locked storage by 111 caregivers (18.3%). Caregivers who reported verbal storage education (aOR 3.01 (95% CI 1.52-5.94); p = 0.001) or both written and verbal storage education (aOR 2.18 (95% CI 1.30-3.68); p = 0.003) were more likely to lock opioids in storage. Among 451 caregivers with leftover opioids, disposal education was reported by 226 (50.1%) and disposal by 111 caregivers (24.6%). There was no association between verbal and/or written disposal education with disposal. CONCLUSION: Caregivers infrequently reported education, locked storage, and disposal of leftover opioids after children's surgery. Education may improve locked opioid storage, but additional strategies are needed to increase disposal. TYPE OF STUDY: Treatment. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level III.

Association of Opioid Use With Pain and Satisfaction After Dental Extraction.

Importance: Dentists commonly prescribe opioids to relieve pain after tooth extraction. Understanding the differences in patient-reported outcomes between opioid users and nonusers could encourage the adoption of more conservative and appropriate prescribing practices in dental medicine. Objective: To evaluate whether pain and satisfaction scores reported by patients who used opioids after tooth extraction were similar to the levels reported by patients with no opioid use. Design, Setting, and Participants: This quality improvement study was conducted in the 14 dental clinics of the University of Michigan School of Dentistry. Eligible adult patients of these clinics who underwent routine or surgical extractions between June 1, 2017, and December 31, 2017, were contacted by telephone within 6 months of the procedure. Patients were surveyed about the type of extraction, use of prescription opioid (if given), use of nonopioid analgesics, pain levels, and satisfaction with care after the procedure. Data analysis was conducted from February 1, 2018, to July 31, 2018. Main Outcomes and Measures: The primary outcome was self-reported pain as assessed by the question, "Thinking back, how would you rate your pain in the first week after your dental procedure?" with a 4-point pain scale of no pain, minimal pain, moderate pain, or severe pain. Secondary outcomes included self-reported satisfaction with care as assessed by a Likert scale ranging from 1 to 10, in which 1 was extremely dissatisfied and 10 was extremely satisfied. Results: The final cohort comprised 329 patients, of whom 155 (47.1%) underwent surgical extraction (mean [SD] age, 41.8 [18.1] years; 80 [51.6%] were men) and 174 (52.9%) underwent routine extraction (mean [SD] age, 52.4 [17.9] years; 79 [45.4%] were men). Eighty patients (51.6%) with surgical extraction and 68 (39.1%) with routine extraction used opioids after their procedure. In both extraction groups, patients who used opioids reported higher levels of pain compared with those who did not use opioids (surgical extraction group: 51 [63.8%] vs 34 [45.3%], P < .001; routine extraction group: 44 [64.7%] vs 35 [33.0%], P < .001). No statistically significant difference in satisfaction was found between groups after surgical extraction (median [interquartile range] scores: 9 [7-10] for nonopioid group vs 9 [8-10] for opioid group) and routine extraction (median [interquartile range] scores: 10 [8-10] for nonopioid group vs 9 [7-10] for opioid group). Conclusions and Relevance: This study found that patients who used opioids after tooth extraction reported significantly higher levels of pain compared with nonusers, but no difference in satisfaction was observed.

Association of Opioid Quantity and Caregiver Education with Pain Control after Pediatric Tonsillectomy.

OBJECTIVE: To examine whether a service guideline reducing postoperative opioid prescription quantities and caregiver-reported education to use nonopioid analgesics first are associated with caregiver-reported pain control after pediatric tonsillectomy. STUDY DESIGN: Prospective cohort study (July 2018-April 2019). SETTING: Pediatric otolaryngology service at a tertiary academic children's hospital. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Caregivers of patients aged 1 to 11 years undergoing tonsillectomy (N = 764) were surveyed 7 to 21 days after surgery regarding pain control, education to use nonopioid analgesics first, and opioid use. Respondents who were not prescribed opioids or had missing data were excluded. Logistic regression modeled caregiver-reported pain control as a function of service guideline implementation (December 2018) recommending 20 rather than 30 doses for postoperative opioid prescriptions and caregiver-reported analgesic education, adjusting for patient demographics. RESULTS: Among 430 respondents (56% response), 387 patients were included. The sample was 43% female with a mean age of 5.0 years (SD, 2.5). Pain control was reported as good (226 respondents, 58%) or adequate/poor (161 respondents, 42%). Mean opioid prescription quantity was 27 doses (SD, 7.9) before and 21 doses (SD, 6.1) after guideline implementation (P < .001). Education to use nonopioids first was reported by 308 respondents (80%). In regression, prescribing guideline implementation was not associated with pain control (adjusted odds ratio, 1.3; 95% CI, 0.9-2.0; P = .22), but caregiver-reported education to use nonopioids first was associated with a higher odds of good pain control (adjusted odds ratio, 1.9; 95% CI, 1.1-3.2; P = .02). CONCLUSION: Caregiver education to use nonopioid analgesics first may be a modifiable health care practice to improve pain control as postoperative opioid prescription quantities are reduced.

Postoperative opioid prescribing is not my job: A qualitative analysis of care transitions.

BACKGROUND: Persistent opioid use is common after surgical procedures, and postoperative opioid prescribing often transitions from surgeons to primary care physicians in the months after surgery. It is unknown how surgeons currently transition these patients or the preferred approach to successful coordination of care. This qualitative study aimed to describe transitions of care for postoperative opioid prescribing and identify barriers and facilitators of ideal transitions for potential intervention targets. METHODS: We conducted a qualitative study of surgeons and primary care physicians at a large academic healthcare system using a semi-structured interview guide. Transcripts were independently coded using the Theoretical Domains Framework to identify underlying determinants of physician behaviors. We mapped dominant themes to the Behavior Change Wheel to propose potential interventions targeting these behaiors. RESULTS: Physicians were interviewed between July 2017 and December 2017 beyond thematic saturation (n = 20). Surgeons report passive transitions to primary care physicians after ruling out surgical complications, and these patients often bounce back to the surgeon when primary care physicians are uncertain of the cause of ongoing pain. Ideal practices were identified as setting preoperative expectations and engaging in active transition for postoperative opioid prescribing. We identified 3 behavioral targets for multidisciplinary intervention: knowledge (guidelines for coordination of care), barriers (utilizing support staff for active transition), and professional role (incentive for multidisciplinary collaboration). CONCLUSION: This qualitative study identifies potential interventions aimed at changing physician behaviors regarding transitions of care for postoperative opioid prescribing. Implementation of these interventions could improve coordination of care for patients with persistent postoperative opioid use.