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THE PATTERN AND INFLUENCING FACTORS OF OPIOID-PRESCRIBING BEHAVIOR AMONG EMERGENCY PHYSICIANS IN THE QASSIM REGION: A
R Albarrak1, I Almutairi2, Sh Alshumaym2
11King Fahd Specialist Hospital, Saudi Arabia.
Georgian Medical News
|March 10, 2026
Summary
Emergency physicians in Saudi Arabia
Area of Science:
- Emergency Medicine
- Public Health
- Pharmacology
Background:
- Opioid misuse is a significant global health issue, with emergency departments (EDs) being key sites for opioid initiation.
- Physician prescribing practices for opioids in EDs show considerable variability, influenced by factors like demographics and experience.
- Previous studies in Saudi Arabia's Western region identified prescribing variations, but the Qassim region remained unexamined.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate opioid prescribing patterns among emergency physicians in the Qassim region of Saudi Arabia.
- To identify factors influencing opioid prescribing behavior in this specific physician group.
- To compare findings with previous research from other Saudi regions.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional study involving 104 emergency physicians in Qassim hospitals.
- A self-administered questionnaire assessed physician demographics, professional characteristics, and determinants of opioid prescribing.
- Data analysis included descriptive statistics, t-tests, and ANOVA, with significance set at p<0.05.
Main Results:
- Prescribing decisions were primarily influenced by patient distress, administered medications, pain scores, vital signs, and diagnosis.
- Factors like family experiences, perceived ED diversion, and colleague practices had minimal influence.
- Significant variations in prescribing agreement were linked to physician gender, monthly shifts, and years of practice, with experienced physicians showing higher agreement.
Conclusions:
- Opioid prescribing in Qassim's EDs is largely driven by objective clinical pain indicators.
- Prescribing patterns varied significantly based on gender, workload, and experience, differing from the Western region's findings.
- Recommendations include targeted education for junior physicians, optimized scheduling, and development of region-specific opioid prescribing guidelines.
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