Buyback Program of Unused Prescription Opioids in US Rural Communities, 2017–2018

Bibliographic Data

ID11023239
AuthorsJean Y Liu (0000-0002-9090-3611, All authors are with the VA Medical Center, White River Junction, VT. Jean Y. Liu, Joseph C. Anderson, and Julie S. Franklin are also with the Geisel School of Medicine, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH. Joseph C. Anderson is also with University of Connecticut School of Medicine, Farmington.), Julie S Franklin (All authors are with the VA Medical Center, White River Junction, VT. Jean Y. Liu, Joseph C. Anderson, and Julie S. Franklin are also with the Geisel School of Medicine, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH. Joseph C. Anderson is also with University of Connecticut School of Medicine, Farmington.), Frank A Gesek (All authors are with the VA Medical Center, White River Junction, VT. Jean Y. Liu, Joseph C. Anderson, and Julie S. Franklin are also with the Geisel School of Medicine, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH. Joseph C. Anderson is also with University of Connecticut School of Medicine, Farmington.), Joseph C Anderson (0000-0002-8066-6333, All authors are with the VA Medical Center, White River Junction, VT. Jean Y. Liu, Joseph C. Anderson, and Julie S. Franklin are also with the Geisel School of Medicine, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH. Joseph C. Anderson is also with University of Connecticut School of Medicine, Farmington.)
Year2020
Volume110
Issue9
Pages1318-1324
Publication date2020-09-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueAmerican Journal of Public Health (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0090-0036 • E-ISSN: 1541-0048
PublisherAmerican Public Health Association (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.2105/ajph.2020.305730
PMID32673113
OpenAlexW3043710995
LanguageEN
Citations received1
References cited40

Objective. To implement an opioid buyback program after ambulatory surgery. Methods. We performed a prospective cohort study of 578 opioid-naïve patients prescribed opioids after ambulatory surgery at a rural US Veterans Affairs (VA) hospital from 2017 to 2018. We reimbursed $5 per unused opioid pill ($50 limit) returned to our VA for proper disposal. We tracked the number of participants, number of unused opioid pills returned, surgeon prescribing, and refill requests. Results. Out of 578 eligible patients, 171 (29.6%) returned 2136.5 unused opioid pills. Information shared with surgeons after 6 months led to a 27% decrease in opioid prescribing without an increase in refills. Conclusions. With this opioid buyback program, rural patients had a safe and convenient place to dispose of unused opioids. Surgeons used information about returns to adjust opioid prescribing after common ambulatory surgeries without an increase in refill requests. Public Health Implications. Although providers prescribe within state opioid guidelines, there will be variations in patient use after ambulatory surgery. An opioid buyback program helped our patients and surgeons decrease unused prescription opioids available for diversion in our rural communities

Environmental health · Family medicine · Medical prescription · Medicine · Opioid Use Disorder Treatment · Pain Management and Opioid Use · Pharmacology · Prenatal Substance Exposure Effects

Tools

Open DOIOpen Access