The Little Rock-based University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences established a committee to explore ways to reduce opioid prescriptions in 2016, Healio reports.
Here are three ways they have been tackling opioid prescriptions and refills:
1. Simon Mears, MD, safety and quality officer of the department of orthopedic surgery at UAMS, spoke to the organization's physicians to first identify opioid prescribing measures. He discovered that there was no standardization and significant variation in prescribing.
2. UAMS created educational courses for providers and established opioid prescription measures based on information from the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons opioid tool kit.
3. Courses were also set up to educate patients about pain before surgery and to encourage opioid alternatives.
Dr. Mears noted a significant decrease in the prescription of opioid pills and morphine-milligram equivalents as well as refills across all procedures.