Reducing inappropriate use of prescription opioids in hospital patients
Abstract
- and Aims: Technology-based Prescription Opioid Safety Education (T-POSE) is a pharmacist-delivered self-management intervention to improve the safe use, storage and disposal of prescription opioids. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of T-POSE in reducing inappropriate use of prescription opioids. Design and Setting: A prospective multisite randomized clinical trial (n=95) was conducted comparing T-POSE to usual care. Telephone followed-up interviews were conducted at one- and three-months. Participants: Participants were recruited from two hospitals in West Virginia. Patients were eligible for the study if they were being discharged with an opioid prescription, were 18-75 years old and did not self-report lifetime use of heroin or illicit prescription opioids. Measurements: Inappropriate use was a composite measure including non-medical use of prescription opioids, unsafe storage and non-recommended disposal.Findings:Less than half of the participants reported having previously received information on how to safely use prescription opioids and 70% reported that they would definitely use products that dissolve unused medications. More than half (63%) reported using prescription opioids for reasons other than pain. Nearly a third (30%) self-disclosed having a family member with a substance use disorder and several participants expressed fears of becoming addicted to opioids. Preliminary follow-up data suggests that participants randomized to T-POSE were more likely to recall information on safe disposal, were less likely to store their medication on their nightstand and had higher overall satisfaction. Conclusions: Previous cross-sectional research confirmed that T-POSE was a feasible hospital-based intervention that was acceptable to patients. The results of this clinical trial suggests that T-POSE is prospectively associated with improvement in knowledge and behaviors reflecting safe prescription opioid use.
Speakers
Presentation files
23 A4 1610 Erin Winstanley .pdf1.33 MBDownload Type
Keywords
Part of session
