Opioid prescribing: an assessment using quality statements.
OBJECTIVE
An audit of opioid prescribing in a large teaching hospital across all specialties was conducted to identify areas for improvement.


METHODS
Opioid medications prescribed for the entire patient admission were recorded and assessed using quality statements.


CONCLUSIONS
Of 334 patients reviewed 209 (62.6%) were prescribed an opioid. Poly-prescribing of 'when required' (p.r.n.) opioids was frequent with 107 (51.2%) patients having more than one 'p.r.n.' opioid. Dosing intervals were too long for 146 (69.8%) patients leaving them at risk of breakthrough pain. The intramuscular route was prescribed for 100 (47.8%) patients, and 49 (23.4%) of prescriptions had an inappropriate variety of administration routes.


CONCLUSIONS
Although the criteria for assessing opioid prescribing were stringent the prescribing was sub-optimal. This survey will form the basis for future quality initiatives.
Jenkins
B G
BG
Pharmacy Department, Royal Perth Hospital, Western Australia. barry.jenkins@health.wa.gov.au
Tuffin
P H R
PH
Choo
C L
CL
Schug
S A
SA
D000701:Analgesics, Opioid / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011307:Drug Prescriptions; D017723:Drug Utilization Review; D006784:Hospitals, Teaching; D006801:Humans; D007297:Inpatients; D010146:Pain / Q000188:drug therapy*; D019984:Quality Indicators, Health Care; D014904:Western Australia
D000701:Analgesics, Opioid