Difference between revisions of "Improve Prescribing Practices"

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=Introductory Paragraph=
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Physicians, dentists, and other healthcare professionals have a key role to play in preventing patients from developing an addiction to pain medication. Studies have shown that it is possible for people to become addicted to such medications in a matter of days. Reducing over-prescribing  is a powerful tool needed to prevent dependence. Prescribing practices could be improved to reduce the prescription of opioids by:
* providing better education in US medical schools about pain management, opioid abuse, and addiction
* modifying regulations on direct advertisements by pharmaceutical companies
* limiting the ways companies influence doctors, such as restricting gifts, vacations, and other forms of compensation.
 
=Key Information=
'''Insurance Company Practices Contribute to Over-Prescription of Opioids'''
 
The over-prescription of opioids is largely a result of the US health insurance structure. Unlike countries that provide universal health care funded by state taxes, the United States has a mostly privatized system of care. And experts say insurers are much more likely to pay for a pill than physical therapy or repeat treatments. According to Judith Feinberg of the West Virginia University School of Medicine: “Most insurance, especially for poor people (Medicaid), won't pay for anything but a pill. Say you have a patient that's 45 years old. They have lower back pain, you examine them, they have a muscle spasm. Really the best thing is physical therapy, but no one will pay for that. So, doctors get very ready to pull out the prescription pad. Even if the insurance covers physical therapy, you probably need prior authorization which is a lot of time and paperwork.” <ref> Amanda Erickson (n.d.). Analysis | Opioid abuse in the U.S. is so bad it’s lowering life expectancy. Why hasn’t the epidemic hit other countries? Retrieved November 24, 2019, from Washington Post website: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2017/12/28/opioid-abuse-in-america-is-so-bad-its-lowering-our-life-expectancy-why-hasnt-the-epidemic-hit-other-countries/</ref>
 
The US health-care system is different from other countries in other ways, too. There is pressure to address pain, and a pervasive attitude that everything is fixable. As a result, doctors in the United States are much more likely to provide painkillers than doctors in other countries. One comparative study found that Japanese doctors treated acute pain with opioids about half the time. In the United States, the number was 97 percent of the time. <ref>Amanda Erickson (n.d.). Analysis | Opioid abuse in the U.S. is so bad it’s lowering life expectancy. Why hasn’t the epidemic hit other countries? Retrieved November 24, 2019, from Washington Post website: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2017/12/28/opioid-abuse-in-america-is-so-bad-its-lowering-our-life-expectancy-why-hasnt-the-epidemic-hit-other-countries/</ref>
 
'''CDC Guidelines for Prescribing Opioids for Chronic Pain'''
 
In 2019, The Center for Disease Control and Prevention issued 12 recommendations for primary care providers, who account for nearly half of opioid prescriptions. If doctors take up the recommendations, they could help stop one of the deadliest drug epidemics in US history.<ref>The CDC is trying to get doctors to help stop the opioid epidemic—Vox. (n.d.). Retrieved November 24, 2019, from https://www.vox.com/2016/3/15/11236600/cdc-guidelines-opioid-epidemic</ref>Three of the recommendations are listed below:
*Non-opioid therapy is preferred for chronic pain outside of active cancer, palliative, and end-of-life care.
*When opioids are used, the lowest possible effective dosage should be prescribed to reduce risks of opioid use disorder and overdose.
*Providers should always exercise caution when prescribing opioids and monitor all patients closely.
 
The idea is to encourage doctors to be more cautious about prescribing opioids, making them less likely to distribute the drugs to patients who are prone to addiction or don't really need the medication. The evidence on whether opioid painkillers can even treat chronic pain is weak at best. <ref>https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24480962 </ref>
 
= Sources =
 
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