By CJ Arlotta
Understanding why physicians from various areas of expertise prescribe opioids helps the medical community as a whole combat opioid abuse, misuse and overdose. Even though emergency physicians are not likely to prescribe opioids to discharged patients, doctors from other medical fields are contributing to the opioid epidemic at a higher rate.
Published in The Journal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (JAAOS), a new report found that orthopedic surgeons are prescribing opioids at an alarming rate. The study, which took a look at the country’s opioid epidemic and its impact on orthopedic care in 2009, revealed that orthopedic surgeons are the third-highest prescribers of opioid prescriptions among physicians in the United States (7.7%). This ranks them behind primary care physicians (28.8%) and internists (14.6%).
Study co-author Dr. Brent J. Morris, a shoulder and elbow surgeon atLexington Clinic Orthopedics, said in an interview that there are a variety of reasons why orthopedic surgeons prescribe opioid pain medications to patients. “Orthopedic injuries including broken bones can be very painful and may require casting or surgery to treat and these are often treated with an opioid pain medication during the initial recovery period,” he said.
“Examples of these types of injuries include hip, shoulder, elbow, wrist, and ankle fractures among others,” Morris said. “It is also very reasonable to use a short course of opioid pain medications to help with the recovery following surgery.”
