Opioid prescription trends among American Head and Neck Society fellowship graduates. Issue 5 (1st March 2023) - Patel, Rushi
Abstract: Background: Opioids are commonly used to manage the pain of head and neck (HN) cancer patients. Methods: Retrospective cohort of graduates from American Head and Neck Society accredited fellowships from 1997 to 2018. The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services Part D Provider Utilization and Payment database 2014–2019 was cross‐referenced with provider names to identify opioid prescription trends. Results: From 2014 to 2019, there was no significant difference in the average number of opioid beneficiaries per provider (18.02 vs. 18.10, p = 0.586) or opioid claims per provider (28.06 vs. 26.73, p = 0.708). The average total opioid day supply per beneficiary declined from 11.09 to 7.05 days from 2014 to 2019 ( p < 0.001). In 2019, providers in the Northeast had the lowest prescribed opioid day supply (3.67 days) compared to those from the South who had the highest (10.32 days). Conclusions: Opioid prescription length has significantly declined among HN surgeons, with variations across geographic regions.