A single academic surgical department reviewed opioid treatment patterns for patients undergoing common procedures, including open pancreatectomy, and an opioid reduction toolkit using the data collected was created. Providers were educated on the use of the toolkit and it was implemented as a standard of practice. Data were collected on pancreatectomy patients via telephone interview (performed at 2 weeks post-op) and by reviewing the state prescription drug monitoring program. Outcome variables included morphine milliequivalents (MME) of pills prescribed, MME of pills consumed, number of patients aware of proper unused pill disposal, number of patients requesting refills, and pain scores. Categorical and continuous outcomes were compared within and between groups.
Investigators studied a baseline population of patients receiving pancreatectomies at their institution and determined how many opioid pills each patient was prescribed and how many they took. Based on this data they created a toolkit to provide to prescribers to give patients a modified number of pills. The amount prescribed and consumed was measured after intervention.