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

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.

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.

Pages: 1 | 2 | Single Page