BACKGROUND: Overuse of opioids has become a health crisis in the United States and Canada. Opioid prescribing practices have subsequently come under scrutiny, with limited study regarding prescribing patterns of dentists. METHODS: A longitudinal analysis was conducted on all adult patients to whom an opioid was dispensed from 2014 through 2017 in Manitoba, Canada. Rates of dental opioid prescribing, milligram morphine equivalents (MMEs) per prescription, and guideline adherence were determined. Additional analyses evaluated the contribution of dentist prescribing to first opioid use and opioid use 90 days before and after first dental opioid prescription. RESULTS: Dentist prescriptions accounted for 3.8% of all opioid prescriptions and 0.58% of total MMEs. Codeine with acetaminophen combinations were the primary opioid prescribed (97.4%), followed by tramadol/acetaminophen (1.7%) and oxycodone with acetaminophen (0.7%). Overall, 30 or less tablets were supplied in 96.1% of prescriptions. Prescriptions were written for 5 or less days in 89.1% of cases and for 7 or less days in 95.2% of cases. In the 90-day before-after analysis, 87.8% of patients received only 1 prescription from their dentist, with an additional 9.8% receiving only 2 prescriptions. Dentists were responsible for 20.6% of first opioid prescriptions, with 5.6% written for 50 or more MMEs per day. CONCLUSIONS: Compared with available guidelines, prescribed quantities were mostly appropriate, suggesting that the overall contribution of dentists to opioid overuse is limited. PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS: Dental opioid stewardship can be encouraged through an enhanced regulatory monitoring program with local review to guide efforts to further improve opioid prescribing. Continued efforts are warranted to prescribe smaller quantities and for greater avoidance of opioid use for dental pain.
BACKGROUND: Overuse of opioids has become a health crisis in the United States and Canada. Opioid prescribing practices have subsequently come under scrutiny, with limited study regarding prescribing patterns of dentists. METHODS: A longitudinal analysis was conducted on all adult patients to whom an opioid was dispensed from 2014 through 2017 in Manitoba, Canada. Rates of dental opioid prescribing, milligram morphine equivalents (MMEs) per prescription, and guideline adherence were determined. Additional analyses evaluated the contribution of dentist prescribing to first opioid use and opioid use 90 days before and after first dental opioid prescription. RESULTS: Dentist prescriptions accounted for 3.8% of all opioid prescriptions and 0.58% of total MMEs. Codeine with acetaminophen combinations were the primary opioid prescribed (97.4%), followed by tramadol/acetaminophen (1.7%) and oxycodone with acetaminophen (0.7%). Overall, 30 or less tablets were supplied in 96.1% of prescriptions. Prescriptions were written for 5 or less days in 89.1% of cases and for 7 or less days in 95.2% of cases. In the 90-day before-after analysis, 87.8% of patients received only 1 prescription from their dentist, with an additional 9.8% receiving only 2 prescriptions. Dentists were responsible for 20.6% of first opioid prescriptions, with 5.6% written for 50 or more MMEs per day. CONCLUSIONS: Compared with available guidelines, prescribed quantities were mostly appropriate, suggesting that the overall contribution of dentists to opioid overuse is limited. PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS: Dental opioid stewardship can be encouraged through an enhanced regulatory monitoring program with local review to guide efforts to further improve opioid prescribing. Continued efforts are warranted to prescribe smaller quantities and for greater avoidance of opioid use for dental pain.
Authors: Patrick Richard; Mark R Bauer; Natalie Moresco; Regine Walker; Diana Bowser; Demarcio Reed; Mary Jo Larson Journal: J Am Dent Assoc Date: 2020-12-24 Impact factor: 3.634
Authors: Janet E Squires; Danielle Cho-Young; Laura D Aloisio; Robert Bell; Stephen Bornstein; Susan E Brien; Simon Decary; Melissa Demery Varin; Mark Dobrow; Carole A Estabrooks; Ian D Graham; Megan Greenough; Doris Grinspun; Michael Hillmer; Tanya Horsley; Jiale Hu; Alan Katz; Christina Krause; John Lavis; Wendy Levinson; Adrian Levy; Michelina Mancuso; Steve Morgan; Letitia Nadalin-Penno; Andrew Neuner; Tamara Rader; Wilmer J Santos; Gary Teare; Joshua Tepper; Amanda Vandyk; Michael Wilson; Jeremy M Grimshaw Journal: CMAJ Date: 2022-02-28 Impact factor: 16.859