Curbing abuse and overdoses through opioid stewardship

work with medical schools in establishing a set of core competencies related to opioid prescriptions and create continuing education programs for physicians and other health care professionals. The state has also written specialty- and location-specific prescribing guidelines, which have been submitted to respective medical boards for review, acceptance and affirmation.

Technology can also play a role in opioid stewardship. Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs (PDMP) allow medication dispensers such as pharmacists to input information about a patient into a statewide database, which physicians can be required to access before writing a prescription. The benefit of a PDMP is the access to information about a patient’s history with a controlled substance that a physician may not have previously had. The information available through a PDMP would give a physician a more complete profile of a patient, which can be taken into consideration before writing a prescription.

According to the CDC, PDMPs are among the most “promising state-level interventions” to improve overprescription rates of opioids.

“Opioids are essential medications in our medical toolbox, but we have to use them more carefully and more judiciously,” Levine said. “And we need to make sure that we moderate the prescriptions, the length of the prescriptions and the doses.”

Cesar Gamboa
Author: Cesar Gamboa
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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.

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Curbing abuse and overdoses through opioid stewardship
Article Name
Curbing abuse and overdoses through opioid stewardship
Description
Last December, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) updated its website with information about antibiotic stewardship -- a practice that describes a coordinated effort to reduce unnecessary prescriptions for antibiotics. The overarching goal, the CDC stated, was to provide the best standard of care and minimize the spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
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Cesar Gamboa
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Addiction Now