Name
Problematic Patterns: Overlapping Opioid/Benzodiazepine Prescriptions
Date & Time
Tuesday, April 3, 2018, 2:00 PM - 3:15 PM
Gery Guy James V. McDonald
Description
Moderator: Jim Huizenga, MD, Chief Clinical Officer, Appriss Health

CE Certified By: AMA,AAFP,ACPE,ADA,ANCC

In this session, researchers will present findings with important implications for policies aimed at curbing the opioid overdose epidemic through improved prescribing. Their research will highlight the importance of adherence to guidelines for prescribing opioids, as well as the review of prescription drug monitoring programs (PDMPs) by providers prior to prescribing to mitigate risk and improve care coordination among providers.

Concurrent prescribing of opioid and benzodiazepine medications is strongly discouraged by clinical guidelines, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Guideline for Prescribing Opioids for Chronic Pain. Analysis of controlled substance prescribing can elucidate patterns of opioid and benzodiazepine co-prescribing. For this presentation, researchers analyzed opioid/benzodiazepine co-prescribing using the 2015 Prescription Behavior Surveillance System (PBSS) in 10 states. PBSS data come from state PDMPs and can be used to characterize the use and misuse of prescribed controlled substances by measuring rates, doses and patterns of risky prescribing. The researchers identified prescriptions for opioids and benzodiazepines which overlapped for seven or more days for a given patient (an overlapping event), and characterized these occurrences by demographics, frequency, dosage, duration of overlap, and whether they were from a single provider or multiple providers. They will present their findings, such as the percentage of patients prescribed both opioids and benzodiazepines, the percentage of patients having at least one overlapping event during the year, and the number of providers involved in an overlapping event. In addition, participants will hear Rhode Island’s perspective regarding its recent implementation of various clinical alerts with the PDMP and preliminary effects on prescribing.

UPON COMPLETION OF THIS COURSE, PARTICIPANTS WILL BE ABLE TO:
- Identify the frequency of concurrent opioid/benzodiazepine prescriptions.
- Describe the demographics of those who have been co-prescribed opioids and benzodiazepines.
- Describe the average dose and duration of overlap for opioid/benzodiazepine co-prescriptions.
- Discuss Rhode Island’s experience with various clinical alerts with the PDMP and connection to prescribing regulations.
Location Name
Courtland
Full Address
Hyatt Regency Atlanta
265 Peachtree St NE
Atlanta, Georgia 30303
United States