in the emergency department or as they left the hospital. However, a year later, a study published in the journal Annals reviewed charts of 19 emergency department patients during one week in 2012 and found that only 17 percent of discharged patients received a prescription for an opioid pain reliever.
U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) data from 2009 showed that emergency room physicians were actually ranked fifth for specialties that prescribe opioids. Family practitioners ranked first, followed by internists, dentists and orthopedic surgeons, the data showed.
Dr. Maryann Mazer-Amirshahi, Pharm.D., who was the lead researcher on the George Washington study, stated that emergency room physicians aren’t the biggest piece of the puzzle. “The solution isn’t going to be one practice setting,” she said.
Author: Cesar Gamboa
Cesar Gamboa is a staff reporter and editor for Addiction Now covering topics ranging from legislation to scientific studies. He was previously a general assignment reporter for the Orange County Register. SoCal raised, lover of books, and avid mountain biker (when he wants to be). He can be reached at cesarg@addictionnow.com.
