Do Guidelines Affect Opioid Prescribing Practices?

Publication of a CDC guideline was associated with more-rapid reductions in U.S. opioid prescribing.

In response to high rates of opioid-related overdoses and deaths in the U.S., the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) published the Guideline for Prescribing Opioids for Chronic Pain (NEJM JW Gen Med May 1 2016 and JAMA 2016; 315:1624) in March 2016. Investigators assessed the effect of this guideline by using two large databases (representing approximately 85% of U.S. retail pharmacy opioid prescriptions) to compare monthly prescribing patterns during the 2 years before the guideline's introduction and the proceeding 2 years.

The number of opioid prescriptions per 100,000 persons declined from 6500 monthly to 4200 monthly between January 2012 and December 2017. The rate of decline was significantly faster after March 2016 than …

Reviewing Author

Daniel D. Dressler, MD, MSc, SFHM, FACP

Disclosures

RoyaltiesMcGraw-Hill; Elsevier

Editorial BoardsMedical Clinics of North America; Caribbean Medical Journal International Advisory Panel (2021–2026)

Daniel D. Dressler, MD, MSc, SFHM, FACP

Disclosures

RoyaltiesMcGraw-Hill; Elsevier

Editorial BoardsMedical Clinics of North America; Caribbean Medical Journal International Advisory Panel (2021–2026)

Do Guidelines Affect Opioid Prescribing Practices?

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Reviewing Author