A study in the Journal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, led by LSU Health New Orleans professor Dr. Peter Krause reports a nearly 70% drop in opioid prescriptions for patients who are discharged from surgery since a Louisiana law was enacted in 2017.
“The law that the State of Louisiana enacted placed some pretty dramatic restrictions on what could be prescribed,” said Krause.
In 2017 Louisiana had the fifth-highest opioid prescribing rate in the nation. The same year legislation was passed limiting first-time opioid prescriptions for acute pain to a seven-day supply and a requirement for prescribers to check the state’s Prescription Drug Monitoring Program.
Krause said continuing education for physicians about opioid addiction and abuse has also helped. Another factor he believes is opioid awareness among the public.
“Patients became more aware of the need to not take opiates they became more understanding, it seems like we’re all starting to row in the right direction,” said Krause.
To effectively counter the opioid epidemic Krause said it has to be a multiprong approach that includes physicians, nurses, and pharmacists.
“Awareness by patients and families and expectations and changing the culture of how we manage pain,” said Krause.
Krause said while the study only observed prescribing trends among orthopedic surgeons, he’s hopeful it’s making an impact in the opioid epidemic.
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