title: Descriptive study of opioid-acetaminophen prescription patterns at the providence VA Medical Center.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Prescription opioid-acetaminophen products account for the majority of cases of acetaminophen-related acute liver failure in the United States. We sought to examine the frequency of opioid-acetaminophen overuse at the Providence VA Medical Center and improve the quality and safety of opioid-acetaminophen prescription practices in a system employing electronic health records and e-prescribing.
  
  
  RESULTS
  During fiscal year 2011, the Providence VA pharmacy dispensed a total of 19,841 acetaminophen prescriptions to a total of 4455 different patients. There were only 15 acetaminophen prescriptions dispensed in excess of 4g/day, and there were only 14 patients exposed to a potential maximum daily dose of acetaminophen greater than 4g.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The Providence VAMC appears to have a low rate of prescription acetaminophen misuse, in contrast to rates seen in previous studies. The VHA electronic health record, accessible to all healthcare providers, appears to offer considerable benefit in reducing the overuse of acetaminophen containing opioid products.
authors: medical student at the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University during portions of this project. He is now an internal medicine intern and future neurology resident at Rhode Island Hospital.
authors: Jay H
authors: JH
authors: Levin
authors: Margaret M
authors: MM
authors: Gordon
authors: Frederick W
authors: FW
authors: Burgess
mesh_terms: D000082:Acetaminophen / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D018712:Analgesics, Non-Narcotic; D000701:Analgesics, Opioid / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004338:Drug Combinations; D057286:Electronic Health Records; D055695:Electronic Prescribing / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006787:Hospitals, Veterans; D006801:Humans; D006853:Hydrocodone / Q000627:therapeutic use; D057970:Inappropriate Prescribing / Q000517:prevention & control; D010098:Oxycodone / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D010146:Pain / Q000188:drug therapy*; D010593:Pharmaceutical Services; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians'; D012237:Rhode Island / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D018712:Analgesics, Non-Narcotic; D000701:Analgesics, Opioid; D004338:Drug Combinations; D000082:Acetaminophen; D006853:Hydrocodone; D010098:Oxycodone