Reuters (2/4, Carroll) reports a new study suggests that “more than half of the opioid prescriptions written by U.S. dentists between 2011 and 2015 exceeded current government guidelines [set in 2016] for treating pain associated with dental procedures.” The study was published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.
HealthDay (2/4, Preidt) notes that CDC “guidelines for pain management were issued in 2016,” and “more study is needed to see if opioid prescribing patterns among dentists changed after the CDC tightened prescribing guidelines in 2016, the study authors said.”
Follow all of the ADA’s advocacy efforts, policies, and positions on opioids at ADA.org/opioids.
As a public service, the ADA Center for Professional Success website is now offering free access to information on safe prescribing, online continuing education, and other tools for managing dental pain, especially for patients who are at risk for drug overdose or addiction. For more information, visit Success. ADA.org/opioids. In addition, the Oral Health Topics on ADA.org provide information on oral analgesics for acute dental pain for dental professionals.
ADA CE Online offers the courses Safe and Responsible Prescribing of Opioid Analgesics and Pharmacotherapeutics for Dental Practitioners: Analgesics Clinical Implications, and the ADA Catalog features the book The ADA Practical Guide to Substance Use Disorders and Safe Prescribing.