Impact of automated alerts on discharge opioid overprescribing after general surgery. September 11, 2024

https://psnet.ahrq.gov/issue/impact-automated-alerts-discharge-opioid-overprescribing-after-general-surgery Impact of automated alerts on discharge opioid overprescribing after general surgery. Rizk E, Kaur N, Duong PY, et al. Am J Health Syst Pharm. 2024;Epub Jul 1. Overprescribing of opioids for acute pain (such as post-surgical pain) can increase the risk for long-term opioid dependence. This study evaluated whether implementation of an EHR alert reduced opioid overprescribing, defined as opioid prescribing exceeding current recommendations. Among a cohort of patients discharged after surgical procedures commonly associated with overprescribing (laparoscopic cholecystectomy, unilateral open inguinal hernia repair, and laparoscopic appendectomy), researchers identified a significant decrease in opioid overprescribing after the EHR alert implementation (48% pre-implementation to 3% post-implementation). Researchers also observed a significant decrease in the average opioid supply at discharge.