Effect of opioid prescribing education for obstetrics and gynecology residents in a safety-net hospital

Abstract

Context: The number of deaths due to opioid overdose has steadily increased in the United States since the early 2000s. The US opioid epidemic calls for an urgent need to evaluate physician prescribing habits. Objective: To educate obstetrics and gynecology residents about opioid abuse, the quantity typically prescribed postoperatively, and strategies to decrease adverse outcomes. Methods: Obstetrics and gynecology residents at an urban safety-net hospital were given a preintervention evaluation to understand their opioid prescribing patterns and use of resources like prescription drug monitoring programs and opioid risk tool. Residents then attended a didactic session reviewing rates of adverse outcomes from overprescribing, resources to reduce adverse outcomes, and the number of opioids considered appropriate postoperatively. Residents completed an immediate postintervention evaluation to reevaluate prescribing patterns. Results: Pre-and postintervention evaluations were completed by 13 residents. In the preintervention evaluation, all participants reported that they would prescribe at least 30 opioid pills for patients after cesarean delivery, but in the postintervention evaluation, none reported that they would prescribe more than 20 opioid pills (P=