Implementation of an Opioid Stewardship Program at an Academic Medical Center

American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP)

As the opioid crisis continues to affect the lives of people around the country health-systems most impacted by the crisis have taken a proactive approach in the fight. Recognizing the need for grassroots leadership to guide responsible opioid prescribing the University of Kentucky HealthCare implemented an Opioid Stewardship Program.

Establishing an Opioid Stewardship Program in Your Health System

The Joint Commission

This 1-hour webinar featured Dr. Jeanmarie Perrone from the University of Pennsylvania Medical Center & Dr. Scott Weiner from Brigham and Women’s Hospital sharing their experiences with setting up programs to encourage safe prescribing of opioids and reducing opioid-related deaths. The speakers shared pearls & lessons learned, with the idea of providing a framework for other systems to implement similar programs as we work towards solutions to the opioid addiction and overdose epidemic.

STEM THE TIDE: OPIOID STEWARDSHIP MEASUREMENT IMPLEMENTATION GUIDE

American Hospital Association (AHA)

The Guide addresses six critical elements that can support users through a process of implementing a data-driven approach to an opioid stewardship program: 1) developing a leadership strategy; 2) conducting an environmental
scan of available resources, existing efforts and available data; 3) selecting measures; 4) setting goals and developing an improvement plan to drive progress on those measures; 5) creating policies and education for care teams; and 6) providing patient education and engaging patients in shared decision-making. We believe that these elements lay the foundation for driving and measuring progress in opioid stewardship.

The Role of Nonpharmacological Approaches to Pain Management: Proceedings of a Workshop (2019)

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine

Pain is a leading cause of disability globally. The dramatic increase in opioid prescriptions within the past decade in the United States has contributed to the opioid epidemic the country currently faces, magnifying the need for longer term solutions to treat pain. The substantial burden of pain and the ongoing opioid crisis have attracted increased attention in medical and public policy communities, resulting in a revolution in thinking about how pain is managed. This new thinking acknowledges the complexity and biopsychosocial nature of the pain experience and the need for multifaceted pain management approaches with both pharmacological and nonpharmacological therapies.

National Action Plan for Adverse Drug Event (ADE) Prevention; Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (ODPHP)

The ADE Action Plan addresses a defined group of ADEs that are considered to be common, clinically significant, preventable, and measurable; resulting from high-priority drug classes; and occurring largely in high-risk populations. Three key drug classes identified as initial targets for the ADE Action Plan include; Anticoagulants (primary ADE of concern: bleeding), Diabetes agents (primary ADE of concern: hypoglycemia), and Opioids (primary ADE of concern: accidental overdoses, oversedation, respiratory depression).

Quality Improvement (QI) and Care Coordination; Implementing the CDC Guideline for Prescribing Opioids for Chronic Pain

Centers for Disease Control (CDC)

Intended to help healthcare systems integrate the Guideline and associated quality improvement (QI) measures into their clinical practice. Offers primary care providers, practices, and healthcare systems a framework for managing patients who are on long-term opioid therapy.

CDC Guideline for Prescribing Opioids for Chronic Pain

Centers for Disease Control (CDC)

Provides recommendations for the prescribing of opioid pain medication for patients 18 and older in primary care settings. Recommendations focus on the use of opioids in treating chronic pain (pain lasting longer than 3 months or past the time of normal tissue healing) outside of active cancer treatment, palliative care, and end-of-life care. The guideline addresses patient-centered clinical practices including conducting thorough assessments, considering all possible treatments, closely monitoring risks, and safely discontinuing opioids.