Nearly 200 million opioid prescriptions are dispensed per year in the United States. Opioid prescriptions given by medical providers are a major contributor to the opioid abuse epidemic. Nearly 40% of opioid overdose-related deaths occur due to prescribed opioids. Among patients diagnosed with opiate dependence, 80% had received an opioid prescription prior to their abuse diagnosis and 51% had a family member who had an opioid prescription, Thus, opioids prescriptions, which are often in excess of the need by the patient, are a major contributor to this public health crisis.
The investigators devised a prospective intervention study to eliminate or significantly reduced the use of opioids prescribed after major urologic surgery for use at home.
