Understanding Opioid Prescribing Practices of Resident Physicians
Julia M Coughlin1, Samantha L Terranella1, Ethan M Ritz2
1Department of Surgery, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL, USA.
The American Surgeon
|December 31, 2021
Summary
Resident physicians often lack formal training in safe opioid prescribing. Enhancing education and using standardized order sets can improve prescribing practices and patient safety.
Area of Science:
- Medical Education
- Surgical Specialties
- Nonsurgical Specialties
Background:
- Opioid prescribing practices vary among resident physicians in different medical specialties.
- Factors influencing these practices and the use of best-practice resources require investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare opioid prescribing habits of residents across surgical and nonsurgical fields.
- To identify key factors influencing resident prescribing decisions.
- To assess resident utilization of supplemental best-practice resources for safe opioid prescribing.
Main Methods:
- Anonymous surveys were administered to residents from internal medicine, obstetrics/gynecology, general surgery, neurosurgery, orthopedic surgery, and urology.
- Fisher's exact test was employed to analyze differences in prescribing practices between specialties.
Main Results:
- Only 35% of residents reported formal training in safe opioid prescribing.
- Standardized order sets, attending preference, and patient opioid history most influenced prescribing.
- Residents significantly underutilized resources like patient counseling, pain specialist consultation, abuse screening, and Prescription Monitoring Program referral (P < .001).
Conclusions:
- Comprehensive prescribing education integrated into resident training is crucial.
- Standardized order sets can effectively promote safer opioid prescribing practices.
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