Impact of a Standardized Multimodal Analgesia Protocol on Opioid Prescriptions After Common Arthroscopic Procedures

Abstract

Background: Excessive prescription of opioids has become a national problem. Providers must attempt to decrease the amount of opioids prescribed while still providing patients with adequate pain relief after surgery. Hypothesis: Implementing a standardized multimodal analgesic protocol will decrease the amount of opioids prescribed at the time of surgery as well as the total amount of opioids dispensed postoperatively. Study Design: Case series; Level of evidence, 4. Methods: Patients who had undergone meniscectomy, rotator cuff repair (RCR), or anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction at our institution were identified by Current Procedural Terminology code 12 months prior to and 6 months after the initiation of a standardized multimodal postoperative pain protocol. Records were reviewed to extract demographic data, amount of opioids prescribed at the time of surgery, amount and frequency of opioid refills, and call-ins regarding pain medication or its side effects. A Wilcoxon rank-sum test was used to evaluate differences in opioid prescriptions between pre- and postprotocol, and significance was set to P