The Role of Acute Care in the Opioid Epidemic

Michigan OPEN—the Opioid Prescribing Engagement Network—was founded to develop a preventive approach to the opioid epidemic in the state through a focus on reducing acute care prescribing (surgery, dentistry, emergency medicine, and trauma). Addressing opioid prescribing during the acute care period among those patients not using opioids has the greatest potential to reduce the number of new chronic opioid users and minimize unintended distribution of prescription opioids into communities. Through a partnership with statewide, physician-led networks, Michigan OPEN is collecting data and identifying and disseminating best practices in acute care opioid prescribing to providers around the state. This session will describe the unique platform and approach of Michigan OPEN, launched under the leadership of 3 University of Michigan (UM) physicians with support from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan (BCBSM) Value Partnerships, and the Institute for Healthcare Policy and Innovation at UM. The presenters will describe the program’s approach to understanding the impact of acute care prescribing in the opioid epidemic, as well as successes in changing prescribing practices in response to our data findings. (Recorded at PAINWeek 2018)