Young patients had same pain control, but took home far less opioid medication, after standard prescription size in hospital computer system was lowered based on evidence of actual use.
Opioids can help reduce the amount of medication needed to achieve anesthesia.
Researchers say the trend has been driven by new medical cannabis laws, expanded qualifying conditions and increased enrollment nationally.
Hundreds of thousands of surgical and dental opioid prescriptions are filled a month or more after writing, but one state’s law helped reduce this “delayed dispensing”.
The VA’s efforts to reduce use of risky antipsychotic medications in its nursing homes succeeded – but use of other medications with less evidence behind them rose.
New primary care models, increased access to medications and surgery, and more clinical training may help more patients.