Surgery program directors' knowledge of opioid prescribing regulations: a survey study

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Public Health
• Pharmacology

Background:

• Opioid misuse is a critical public health issue exacerbated by overprescribing.
• Surgical residents often manage opioid prescriptions upon patient discharge.
• Residency program directors (PDs) are responsible for educating residents on prescribing practices.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the knowledge of surgical residency program directors (PDs) regarding local controlled substance prescribing policies.
• To identify gaps in PDs' understanding of state-specific opioid regulations.

Main Methods:

• A survey was distributed to surgical PDs to gather information on residency characteristics and knowledge of state regulations.
• The survey included questions on opioid prescribing education, prescription drug monitoring programs, and controlled substance registration requirements.

Main Results:

• A majority of programs (94.5%) permit residents to prescribe outpatient opioids.
• A significant portion of PDs demonstrated limited knowledge of state requirements for opioid prescribing education (57.3% correct), prescription drug monitoring program (PDMP) use (58.2% correct), and additional controlled substance prescribing registration (69.1% correct).
• Many PDs were unsure about state regulations, with substantial percentages expressing uncertainty regarding PDMP existence (26.4%) and required additional registrations (9.1%).

Conclusions:

• While most surgical residency programs allow residents to prescribe opioids, there is a notable deficiency in PDs' understanding of relevant state controlled substance regulations.
• This knowledge gap among PDs, who are responsible for resident education, highlights a critical area for improvement in surgical residency training.
• Ensuring PDs are well-versed in local opioid prescribing policies is essential for effective resident education and to address the opioid crisis.