Physicians report adopting safer opioid prescribing behaviors after academic detailing intervention

Background This study evaluated an educational intervention intended to increase physicians' use of patient prescription history information from the state prescription monitoring program (PMP) and their adoption of clinical behaviors consistent with opioid prescription guidelines to reduce patient risk. Methods Physician volunteers (n = 87) in community practices and Veterans Administration medical settings in South Carolina received an office-based, individualized, educational intervention (Academic Detailing) from a trained pharmacist who promoted three key messages about safer opioid prescribing. Physicians were registered for the state PMP, guided through retrieving patient information from the PMP, and given patient-centered materials. Physicians consented to completing web-surveys; 68 (78%) completed follow-up surveys on average 12.2 weeks post-intervention. Results Of 43 respondents who did not use the PMP before the intervention, 83% adopted PMP use. Self-reports also revealed a significant increase in frequency of the following behaviors: 1) using patient report information from the PMP, 2) using a standardized scale to monitor pain intensity and interference with daily functioning, and 3) issuing orders for urine toxicology screens for patients maintained long-term on opioids. Conclusions The intervention was effective in promoting physician adoption of prescribing behaviors intended to reduce risks associated with prescription opioids. The self-report findings of this study should be confirmed by analysis using data on the number of queries submitted to the state's PMP. The present study suggests that a single academic detailing visit may be an effective tool for increasing physician voluntary registration and utilization of data on patients' prescription history contained in a state PMP.