Reducing opioids prescribed after total joints

Editor's Note

This study from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, finds that total hip (THA) and total knee (TKA) arthroplasty patients could be prescribed less opioids after surgery without the need for refills.

The analysis included a cohort of 120,889 opioid-naïve primary total joint arthroplasty patients aged 18 to 75 years.

The 30-day refill rate was 59.6% after TKA and 26.1% after THA, and the 15-day refill rate was 49.4% after TKA and 21.1% after THA.

Refill rates by initial prescription size were between 20% and 30% after THA and between 55% and 65% after TKA.

Adjusted odds of refill decreased by 2% for every 75 oral morphine equivalents (10 tablets of 5 mg oxycodone) increase to the initial prescription size in THA patients and decreased by 3% in TKA patients.

The findings suggest that the initial opioid prescription size after THA and TKA will have a negligible effect on the probability of refills, the researchers say.