ENTtoday
  • Home
  • COVID-19
  • Practice Focus
    • Allergy
    • Facial Plastic/Reconstructive
    • Head and Neck
    • Laryngology
    • Otology/Neurotology
    • Pediatric
    • Rhinology
    • Sleep Medicine
  • Departments
    • Issue Archive
    • TRIO Best Practices
      • Allergy
      • Facial Plastic/Reconstructive
      • Head and Neck
      • Laryngology
      • Otology/Neurotology
      • Pediatric
      • Rhinology
      • Sleep Medicine
    • Career Development
    • Case of the Month
    • Everyday Ethics
    • Health Policy
    • Legal Matters
    • Letter From the Editor
    • Medical Education
    • Online Exclusives
    • Practice Management
    • Resident Focus
    • Rx: Wellness
    • Special Reports
    • Tech Talk
    • Viewpoint
    • What’s Your O.R. Playlist?
  • Literature Reviews
    • Allergy
    • Facial Plastic/Reconstructive
    • Head and Neck
    • Laryngology
    • Otology/Neurotology
    • Pediatric
    • Rhinology
    • Sleep Medicine
  • Events
    • Featured Events
    • TRIO Meetings
  • Contact Us
    • About Us
    • Editorial Board
    • Triological Society
    • Advertising Staff
    • Subscribe
  • Advertise
    • Place an Ad
    • Classifieds
    • Rate Card
  • Search

Geographic Area, Years in Practice, Gender Affect Otolaryngology Opioid Prescribing

by Amy E. Hamaker • July 8, 2018

  • Tweet
  • Email
Print-Friendly Version

What are the current opioid prescription patterns among practicing otolaryngologists?

Bottom line
Otolaryngologists wrote nearly 1 million days’ worth of opioids to Medicare beneficiaries in 2015. Although the majority of otolaryngologists write fewer than 11 prescriptions annually, those writing more prescriptions also write lengthier courses, and there is significant geographic variation in prescribing patterns.

You Might Also Like

No related posts.

Explore This Issue
July 2018

Background: According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly half of 33,000 opioid-related deaths in 2015 were due to prescription drug overdoses. Opioid-related substance abuse and overdose has been rising over the past two decades, largely as a result of more aggressive prescribing patterns. Specialty-specific considerations for perioperative use of opioids are not currently incorporated in otolaryngology training curricula.

Study design: Retrospective review of Medicare Part D beneficiary data (2015) from 9,068 unique otolaryngologists.

Setting: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) database.

Synopsis: There were 93,360 separate prescription entries encompassing 9,068 otolaryngologists (7,698 men/1,370 women). A plurality practiced in the South, followed by the Midwest, West, Northeast, and other territories. Otolaryngologists wrote 133,779 prescriptions for opioid medications out of a total of 3,753,005 total prescriptions (3.6%), covering a supply of 922,806 days as reported by CMS (6.9 days per opioid prescription). Most were for hydrocodone-acetaminophen; other popular opioids included oxycodone-acetaminophen and acetaminophencodeine. The majority (51.2%) prescribed opioids in ≤10 instances, whereas only 6.1% offered >50 prescriptions. Otolaryngologists writing more opioid prescriptions also prescribed lengthier courses. Those writing ≤10 prescriptions had the greatest mean experience. Men wrote more prescriptions than women, but women wrote lengthier prescriptions. A plurality of prescriptions was in the South, followed by the Midwest, West, and Northeast. The proportion of total prescriptions that were for opioids was greatest in the Midwest and least in the Northeast, while prescribers in the Midwest prescribed shorter courses. Limitations included limited Medicare Part D population coverage and lack of information on prescriptions based on longstanding pain issues vs. acute postoperative pain.

Citation: Svider PF, Arianpour K, Guo E, et. al. Opioid prescribing patterns among otolaryngologists: crucial insights among the Medicare population. Laryngoscope. February 15, 2018. doi: 10.1002/lary.27101.

Filed Under: Literature Reviews, Otology/Neurotology Tagged With: opioid crisis, opioid prescriptions, opioids, otolaryngologyIssue: July 2018

You Might Also Like:

The Triological SocietyENTtoday is a publication of The Triological Society.

The Laryngoscope
Ensure you have all the latest research at your fingertips; Subscribe to The Laryngoscope today!

Laryngoscope Investigative Otolaryngology
Open access journal in otolaryngology – head and neck surgery is currently accepting submissions.

Classifieds

View the classified ads »

TRIO Best Practices

View the TRIO Best Practices »

Top Articles for Residents

  • Do Training Programs Give Otolaryngology Residents the Necessary Tools to Do Productive Research?
  • Why More MDs, Medical Residents Are Choosing to Pursue Additional Academic Degrees
  • What Physicians Need to Know about Investing Before Hiring a Financial Advisor
  • Tips to Help You Regain Your Sense of Self
  • Should USMLE Step 1 Change from Numeric Score to Pass/Fail?
  • Popular this Week
  • Most Popular
  • Most Recent
    • The Dramatic Rise in Tongue Tie and Lip Tie Treatment
    • Vertigo in the Elderly: What Does It Mean?
    • Complications for When Physicians Change a Maiden Name
    • Neurogenic Cough Is Often a Diagnosis of Exclusion
    • Some Laryngopharyngeal Reflux Resists PPI Treatment
    • Vertigo in the Elderly: What Does It Mean?
    • New Developments in the Management of Eustachian Tube Dysfunction
    • Some Laryngopharyngeal Reflux Resists PPI Treatment
    • The Dramatic Rise in Tongue Tie and Lip Tie Treatment
    • Eustachian Tuboplasty: A Potential New Option for Chronic Tube Dysfunction and Patulous Disease
    • FDA Approves First Treatment for Eosinophilic Esophagitis
    • Clinical Best Practices: Otolaryngologists Tackle Questions
    • Otolaryngologist Shares Experience with Image Manipulation in Research and How to Prevent It
    • Methodology to Study Care Barriers for Head and Neck Cancer Patients in Low- and Middle-Income Countries Yields Insights
    • Spreader Graft Placement Found Comparable in Functional Outcome in Patients with Nasal Obstruction

Polls

Do you think most image manipulation in studies is done accidentally or on purpose?

View Results

Loading ... Loading ...
  • Polls Archive
  • Home
  • Contact Us
  • Advertise
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use

Visit: The Triological Society • The Laryngoscope • Laryngoscope Investigative Otolaryngology

Wiley
© 2022 The Triological Society. All Rights Reserved.
ISSN 1559-4939