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Daliya P, Adiamah A, Roslan F, Theophilidou E, Knaggs RD, Levy N, Lobo DN. Opioid prescription at postoperative discharge: a retrospective observational cohort study. Anaesthesia 2021; 76:1367-1376. [PMID: 33768532 DOI: 10.1111/anae.15460] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Opioid misuse is now considered a major public health epidemic in North America, with substantial social and financial consequences. As well as socio-economic and commercial drivers, modifiable risk-factors that have resulted in this crisis have been identified. The purpose of this study was to identify whether, within England, modifiable drivers for persistent postoperative opioid use were present. This was a retrospective cohort study of practice at 14 National Health Service hospitals across England. Data were collected retrospectively and validated for adult patients undergoing elective intermediate and major or complex major general surgical procedures between 1 and 31 March 2019. Of the 509 patients enrolled from 14 centres, 499 were included in the data analysis. In total, 31.5% (157/499) patients were in the intermediate surgery cohort and 68.5% (342/499) were in the major or complex major surgery cohort, with 21.0% (33/157) and 21.6% (74/342) discharged with opioid medicines to be taken at regular intervals, respectively. There were similar median oral morphine equivalent doses prescribed at discharge. Of patients prescribed regular opioid medicines, 76.6% (82/107) had a specified duration at discharge. However, 72.9% (78/107) had no written deprescribing advice on discharge. Similarly, of patients prescribed 'when required' opioids, 59.6% (93/156) had a specified duration of their prescription and 33.3% (52/156) were given written deprescribing advice. This study has identified a pattern of poor prescribing practices, a lack of guidance and formal training at individual institutions and highlights opportunities for improvement in opioid-prescribing practices within England.
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Affiliation(s)
- P Daliya
- East Midlands Surgical Academic Network, Queen's Medical Centre, Nottingham, UK
- Gastro-intestinal Surgery, Nottingham Digestive Diseases Centre, National Institute for Health Research, Nottingham Biomedical Research Centre, Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust and University of Nottingham, Queen's Medical Centre, Nottingham, UK
| | - A Adiamah
- East Midlands Surgical Academic Network, Queen's Medical Centre, Nottingham, UK
- Gastro-intestinal Surgery, Nottingham Digestive Diseases Centre, National Institute for Health Research, Nottingham Biomedical Research Centre, Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust and University of Nottingham, Queen's Medical Centre, Nottingham, UK
| | - F Roslan
- East Midlands Surgical Academic Network, Queen's Medical Centre, Nottingham, UK
- Gastro-intestinal Surgery, Nottingham Digestive Diseases Centre, National Institute for Health Research, Nottingham Biomedical Research Centre, Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust and University of Nottingham, Queen's Medical Centre, Nottingham, UK
| | - E Theophilidou
- East Midlands Surgical Academic Network, Queen's Medical Centre, Nottingham, UK
- Gastro-intestinal Surgery, Nottingham Digestive Diseases Centre, National Institute for Health Research, Nottingham Biomedical Research Centre, Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust and University of Nottingham, Queen's Medical Centre, Nottingham, UK
| | - R D Knaggs
- School of Pharmacy, Pain Centre Versus Arthritis, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
| | - N Levy
- Department of Anaesthesia and Peri-operative Medicine, West Suffolk Hospital, Bury St. Edmunds, UK
| | - D N Lobo
- East Midlands Surgical Academic Network, Queen's Medical Centre, Nottingham, UK
- Gastro-intestinal Surgery, Nottingham Digestive Diseases Centre, National Institute for Health Research, Nottingham Biomedical Research Centre, Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust and University of Nottingham, Queen's Medical Centre, Nottingham, UK
- David Greenfield Metabolic Physiology Unit, MRC Versus Arthritis Centre for Musculoskeletal Ageing Research, School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, Queen's Medical Centre, Nottingham, UK
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