Impact of Policy Interventions on Postoperative Opioid Prescribing

To assess postoperative opioid prescribing in response to state and organizational policy changes.

We used an observational study design at an academic medical center in the Northeast United States over a time during which there were two important influences: 1) implementation of state rules regarding opioid prescribing and 2) changes in organization policies reflecting evolving standards of care. Results were summarized at the surgical specialty and procedure level and compared between baseline (July-December 2016) and postrule (July-December 2017) periods.

We analyzed data from 17,937 procedures from July 2016 to December 2017, two-thirds of which were outpatient. Schedule II opioids were prescribed in 61% of cases and no opioids at all in 28%. The median morphine milligram equivalent (MME) prescribed at discharge decreased 40%, from 113 MME in the baseline period to 68 MME in the postrule period. Decreases were seen across all the surgical specialties.

Postoperative opioid prescribing at the time of hospital discharge decreased between 2016 and 2017 in the setting of targeted and replicable state and health care organizational policies.

Policies governing the use of opioids are an effective and adoptable approach to reducing opioid prescribing following surgery.