Statewide comparison of postop opioid prescribing in teaching vs nonteaching hospitals

Editor's Note

In this study, patients in teaching hospitals in Michigan received significantly larger postoperative opioid prescriptions and had higher rates of high-risk prescribing compared with nonteaching hospitals in the state.

The amount of opioid prescribed in initial opioid prescriptions varied 4.7-fold across hospitals, from 130 to 616 oral morphine equivalents.

Patients discharged from teaching hospitals filled larger initial opioid prescriptions overall, compared with nonteaching hospitals (251 vs 232 oral morphine equivalents).

Teaching hospitals had higher adjusted rates of high-risk prescribing, compared with nonteaching hospitals (13.7% vs 10.3%)

All hospitals, particularly teaching hospitals, should ensure that adequate resources are provided to facilitate safe postoperative opioid prescribing, the researchers concluded.