52 - Can the Implementation of the CDC’s Opioid Guidelines by Providers Decrease Opioid Misuse among Patients in 2 months?
Mariel Cunamay
Brandman University, Irvine, CA, USA
Purpose The purpose of this project is to decrease the misuse of opioids in the clinic by utilizing the recommended CDC’s Opioid Guidelinesand to demonstrate that its use can influenceclinician behavior and decrease opioids prescribed by primary care providers. Methods This quantitative research project utilized the paired samples t-test to compare the urine drug screen tests of participants at their first visit against their last visit to detect for opioid misuse. Pain levels were assessed using the Wong-Bakers Faces pain rating scale to evaluate the effectiveness of opioid management and pain control. Results Utilizing the paired samples t-test, results of the UDS pre – implementation (M = 27.93 SD = 4.93)and post- implementation of opioid guidelines (M= 26.14 SD = 4.11) t(29) = 2.05, p = .047, p < .05, show statistically significant decrease of opioid misuse in the clinical setting. Conclusions Results show clinical significance in practice by offering insight on certain risk factors predisposes an individual to opioid misuse, it effectively managed pain among patients, decreased the rate of opioids prescribed, and increased the use of UDS testing and pharmacy drug monitoring programs.