In a study from the Perelman School of Medicine, researchers found that more than 60% of opioid tablets prescribed to patients after surgeries go unused.
The study was published on March 25 in JAMA Network Open. Researchers used a text messaging system to automatically collect data from patients by checking patient pain levels and opioid use, Penn Medicine News reported. The study also found that most prescribed opioids are taken within the first few days following surgery.
According to the study, which used information from 919 patients, 61% of prescribed opioid tablets were reported as unused, and as many as 28% of patients reported not using any opioids at all.
“Through simple text messaging we highlight a method which gives clinicians the information they need to reduce prescribing and manage pain,” co-author and assistant professor of Emergency Medicine Anish Agarwal told Penn Medicine News.
Agarwal added that the information may help doctors tailor future prescriptions to better meet patient needs.
According to the findings, most patients from both orthopaedic and urologic procedures stopped taking their opioid medication after seven days, Penn Medicine News reported. Less than 20 of the patients studied needed a refill, and 64% of all patients used less than half of their prescription.
The automated text program used in the study was tested in a previous case study led by Agarwal. In the case study, which was published in the March issue of NEJM Catalyst, Agarwal and fellow researchers sent a series of text messages to patients directly after their procedure, and again four, seven, 14, and 21 days afterwards. Consenting patients responded to questions, including ones regarding prescribed opioid usage.
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