Health system reduces opioid prescribing through targeted interventions

Anne Arundel Medical Center in Maryland reduced opioid prescribing over a 16-month period by implementing interventions to educate prescribers, patients and the public about opioid risks and safety and promote clinician accountability, according to a study published Friday by JAMA Network Open. Monthly morphine milligram equivalents per encounter and MME per opioid prescription fell by 58 percent and 34 percent, respectively, compared with the average for the baseline period, while the opioid prescription rate fell by 38 percent. “Our data demonstrate that it is possible, through a coordinated, multilevel campaign, to reduce opioid overprescribing without worsening overall patient satisfaction,” the authors said. The AHA offers a toolkit to help hospitals and health systems work with their patients, clinicians and communities to tackle the opioid epidemic.