Welcome to the MSSIC Opioid Resource toolkit. It contains resources to support the MSSIC Opioid Prescribing Guidelines performance measures and resources from Michigan OPEN and publication articles.  The opioid epidemic continues to represent a significant public health crisis in the U.S.  Prescription opioid use has been recognized as a key contributor to this epidemic and surgeons play an important role in this epidemic.  Opioids prescribed after surgery are associated with a well-documented risk of chronic opioid dependence, especially in opioid-naïve patients.  In recent years, MSSIC has collaborated with the BCBSM CQI, Michigan-OPEN , whose mission is to support providers in combating opioid misuse and to develop prescribing guidelines for various surgical specialties.  Studies have demonstrated that for opioid naïve patients, post-discharge pill counts reveal that patients do not necessarily use all the opioids they are discharged with.

What does the literature and MSSIC data show?  MSSIC data and literature (including a study out of Mayo Clinic) support the judicious use of opiates as beneficial.  There is no evidence of decreased satisfaction or increased healthcare utilization with less prescribing.  Patients with < 225 MME are less likely to be on opioids 90 days after surgery. There is a great deal of MSSIC site variability in opioid prescribing patterns – we have an opportunity to make positive changes in discharge prescribing for opioid naïve patients.