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Few patients received high amounts of opioids from IHS-run pharmacies
Few patients received high amounts of opioids from IHS-run pharmacies
- Collection:
- Health Policy and Services Research
- Series Title(s):
- Issue brief (United States. Department of Health and Human Services. Office of Inspector General)
- Contributor(s):
- United States. Department of Health and Human Services. Office of Inspector General. Office of Evaluation and Inspections, issuing body.
- Publication:
- Washington, D.C. : U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, December 2020
- Language(s):
- English
- Format:
- Text
- Subject(s):
- Analgesics, Opioid -- supply & distribution
Government Regulation
Pharmacies
Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs -- organization & administration
United States
United States. Department of Health and Human Services
United States. Indian Health Service - Genre(s):
- Technical Report
- Abstract:
- Why OIG Did This Review. The opioid crisis is a public health emergency. In 2018 alone, opioid-related overdoses in the United States killed 46,802 people. The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic underscores the importance of opioid response efforts—the pandemic fuels factors such as unemployment that contribute to opioid misuse, and it may make access to treatment or support services more difficult. The Office of Inspector General (OIG) has been tracking opioid use in Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) programs since 2016. Previous OIG work has assessed opioid use in both Medicare and Medicaid, including identifying beneficiaries at serious risk of misuse or overdose.4 This issue brief focuses on the Indian Health Service (IHS), which serves an American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) population that may be at increased risk of opioid misuse or overdose. Between 2016 and 2017, AI/ANs experienced a larger percentage increase in deaths involving prescription opioids than any other group. In addition, previous OIG work found that some IHS hospitals did not always follow IHS policy when prescribing and dispensing opioids. How OIG Did This Review. We analyzed prescription drug data for opioids received from IHS-run pharmacies between May 2018 and April 2019. We calculated patients’ morphine equivalent dose (MED)—a measure that translates various opioid formulations and strengths into a standard value—to compare opioids received across patients and prescriptions. In addition, we reviewed IHS documents regarding IHS’s policies for prescribing and dispensing opioids and steps that IHS has taken in response to the opioid crisis. We also conducted interviews with IHS officials and staff to understand (1) the results of IHS’s efforts; (2) how IHS monitors opioid use and opioid-related activities; and (3) challenges that IHS faces in preventing and detecting opioid misuse. What OIG Found. OIG’s analysis of IHS data on prescription drugs showed that few patients received high amounts of opioids from IHS-run pharmacies. IHS has taken a number of steps to ensure appropriate opioid use among its patients, and IHS officials highlighted positive outcomes from these initiatives. However, IHS has opportunities to improve the efficiency of its opioid monitoring systems by further automating its system for electronic health records (EHRs). Additionally, IHS officials reported challenges in using State-run prescription drug monitoring programs (PDMPs) and in tracking care that patients receive outside of IHS; both factors can limit IHS staff’s ability to monitor opioid use.
- Copyright:
- The National Library of Medicine believes this item to be in the public domain. (More information)
- Extent:
- 1 online resource (1 PDF file (33 pages))
- Illustrations:
- Illustrations
- NLM Unique ID:
- 9918283580206676 (See catalog record)
- Permanent Link:
- http://resource.nlm.nih.gov/9918283580206676