National opioid prescription decline across outpatient specialty surgeries: A claims database study.

Abstract

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention encourages physicians to limit unnecessary opioid prescriptions. The proportion of patients from 2009 to 2022 who filled an opioid prescription within 1 week after the same-day, outpatient procedures. Patients aged 18 years and older from Optum Clinformatics Data Mart who underwent one of the following: reduction mammoplasty (plastic surgery), Mohs micrographic surgery (dermatologic surgery), endoscopic sinus surgery (otorhinolaryngology), arthroscopic shoulder surgery (orthopedic surgery), strabismus surgery (ophthalmology), and vasectomy (urology). The rate of filled opioid prescriptions for all surgeries increased from 42.8% in 2009 (29,854/69,781) to a peak of 43.1% (26,897/62,348) in 2010. Opioid fill rates decreased annually thereafter to 15.9% in 2022 (9784/61,420). Opioid fill rate average annual percent change was statistically significant across all surgeries (P < .001). The annual percent change for opioid fill rates significantly declined from 2012 to 2017 (annual percent change-5.4, P < .001). The rate of decline more than doubled from 2017 to 2022 (annual percent change-12.9, P < .001). Clinformatics Data Mart is representative of the U.S. population; however, it may not be generalizable to noncommercially insured patients. There has been a decrease in opioid prescriptions after same-day outpatient procedures across multiple surgical subspecialties, demonstrating improved opioid stewardship.