Nearly 200 million opioid prescriptions are dispensed per year in the United States. Opioid prescriptions given by medical providers are a major contributor to the opioid abuse epidemic. Nearly 40% of opioid overdose-related deaths occur due to prescribed opioids. Among patients diagnosed with opiate dependence, 80% had received an opioid prescription prior to their abuse diagnosis and 51% had a family member who had an opioid prescription, Thus, opioids prescriptions, which are often in excess of the need by the patient, are a major contributor to this public health crisis.~The investigators devised a prospective intervention study to eliminate or significantly reduced the use of opioids prescribed at hospital discharge after major urologic surgery.
Opioid analgesics are routinely prescribed for these patients for post-operative pain control. Even a short exposure to opioids in opioid-naïve patients following minor or major surgery has been associated with de novo habitual or persistent use of opioids in 5-30% of patients. The goal of the study to eliminate the use of outpatient opioids prescriptions after major urologic surgery.