Many Opioid Prescriptions from Emergency Departments Go Unused

Many patients who are discharged from the emergency department (ED) have unused opioid prescriptions 2 to 3 weeks later, according to the results of a recent study.

To address increases in the rates of opioid prescriptions associated with ED visits over the last decade, researchers conducted a prospective, single-centered, survey-based observational study. From December 2017 to February 2018, 178 patients who were discharged with opioid prescriptions were asked to join the study, of whom 122 were enrolled and 98 were surveyed.

Overall, the researchers found that the median number of pills prescribed to the patients was 8 (interquartile range 8–12). After 14 to 21 days of follow-up, 49% of the patients had unused opioids and additional 9.2% had never filled their prescriptions in the first place. Of 980 prescribed pills, 327 (33.4%) remained unused at the end of the study period.

Notably, only 55.1% of the patients reported that they had been cautioned about the potential adverse effects of opioids, and only 21.4% reported having received advice on storage and disposal of their opioids.

“The majority of patients in this study had unused or unfilled opioids 14 to 21 days post ED discharge, and approximately one third of the opioids prescribed remained unused. Most patients did not recall receiving opioid related education including proper disposal of medication,” the researchers concluded.

—Michael Potts

Reference:

Shi R, Quinones A, Bair J, et al. Patient utilization of prescription opioids after discharge from the emergency department. AJEM. 2020;38(8):1568-1571. doi: 10.1016/j.ajem.2019.158421