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An Effective Intervention: Limiting Opioid Prescribing as a Means of Reducing Opioid Analgesic Misuse, and Overdose
Brandi C Fink1, Olivier Uyttebrouck1, Richard S Larson1
1Brandi Fink, Ph.D., is a licensed clinical psychologist and Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the University of New Mexico Health Sciences. Dr. Fink's research focuses on identifying novel neurophysiological intervention targets to improve outcomes for patients with a variety of substance use related problems. Her clinical work focuses on the treatment of substance use disorders. Olivier Uyttebrouck is a Senior Scientific Writer for the University of New Mexico Health Sciences. Richard Larson, M.D., Ph.D., is the Executive Vice Chancellor, Vice Chancellor for Research, and Professor of Pathology at the University of New Mexico Health Sciences. As an established scholar and leader, Dr. Larson oversees an array of activities and programs at a $2.2 billion academic health center. These activities have spanned operational, clinical, educational and research missions.
Abstract:
Overdose deaths involving prescription opioids killed more than 17,000 Americans in 2017, marking a five-fold increase since 1999. High prescribing rates of opioid analgesics have been a substantial contributor to prescription opioid misuse, dependence, overdose and heroin use. There was recognition approximately ten years ago that opioid prescribing patterns were contributing to this startling increase in negative opioid-related outcomes, and federal actions, including Medicare reimbursement reform and regulatory actions, were initiated to restrict opioid prescribing. The current manuscript is a description of those actions, the effect of those actions on opioid prescribing and related patient outcomes. We also describe our proposal of methods of expanding these efforts as an important piece to further reduce opioid-related misuse, dependence, and overdose death.
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