Articles: opioid.
-
The Prescription Opioid Misuse and Abuse Questionnaire (POMAQ) was developed to identify prescription opioid misuse and abuse among patients with chronic pain. A clinical scoring algorithm was developed and refined to align with the patient experience. ⋯ The clinical scoring algorithm for the POMAQ was developed and refined to reflect clinically relevant patient behaviors identified by expert review. Future testing is needed to determine the sensitivity and specificity of this measure.
-
Despite the focus on overdose deaths co-involving opioids and benzodiazepines, little is known about the epidemiologic characteristics of benzodiazepine-involved overdose deaths in the USA. ⋯ Interventions to reduce benzodiazepine-involved overdose mortality should consider the demographics of, co-involved substances in, and presence of suicides among benzodiazepine-involved overdose deaths.
-
As opioid-related hospitalizations rise, hospitals must be prepared to evaluate and treat patients with opioid use disorder (OUD). We implemented a hospitalist-led program, Project Caring for patients with Opioid Misuse through Evidence-based Treatment (COMET) to address gaps in care for hospitalized patients with OUD. ⋯ Our program is one of the first to demonstrate successful implementation of a hospitalist-led, comprehensive approach to caring for hospitalized patients with OUD and can serve as an example to other institutions seeking to implement life-saving, evidence-based treatment in this population.
-
The opioid abuse epidemic has focused attention on efforts to decrease opioid prescribing. Although education and feedback interventions are potential levers to affect opioid prescribing, their incremental contribution against a background of declining opioid prescriptions is unclear. ⋯ The ED Opioid Safety Initiative was associated with a near-term decrease in multiple categories of opioid prescribing, including for selected subgroups of common painful conditions.