Podcast # 422: ED Opioid Prescription Trends

Author: Jared Scott, MD

Educational Pearls:

• From 1996 to 2012, the total quantity of opioids prescribed increased 647% for non-cancer pain
• Office based prescriptions accounted for 84% of the total opioid prescriptions, up from 64%
• The total share of opioids prescribed from the emergency department declined from 10% to 3.9% but
• Total opioids prescribed from the ED still increased 219% over this same time frame

References:

Axeen S, Seabury SA, Menchine M. Emergency Department Contribution to the Prescription Opioid Epidemic. Ann Emerg Med. 2018 Jun;71(6):659-667.e3. doi: 10.1016/j.annemergmed.2017.12.007. Epub 2018 Jan 16. PubMed PMID: 29373155

Summarized by Travis Barlock, MS4 | Edited by Erik Verzemnieks, MD