Tag: Opioids

The Role of Every Doctor in Improving the Opioid Crisis

Posted on by VettersEnt

The opioid crisis is ongoing, and every doctor has a role in providing excellent care for patients and preventing opioid overuse and misuse. While some people seem to think that the solution lies in never prescribing opioids, in reality, some patients are struggling with life-threatening illnesses and in need of palliative care that makes them an appropriate solution. Every physician must now walk a fine line between managing pain and prescribing in a manner that encourages addiction.

Changes in the Opioid Crisis

It’s unsurprising that there is a renewed interest in creating policies to limit prescriptions of opioids in the wake of rising deaths from overdoses. According to the CDC, overdoses from prescription medication are a leading factor in the 16-year increase in opioid overdose deaths. From 1999 to 2010, the amount of prescription opioids sold to hospitals, practices and pharmacies nearly quadrupled without an overall increase in the amount of pain that patients reported.

CDC Guidelines

The CDC released aggressive clinical practice guidelines that suggest limiting initial opioid prescriptions to 3 days unless it is a situation where there is active cancer, a need for palliative care or end-of-life care. The guidelines also caution prescriptions that contain more than 90 morphine milligram equivalents every day due to the increased risk of overdose and lateral efficacy of a stronger prescription.

The CDC’s clinical reminders are a launching point for your practice to serve as a resource for patients and prevent opioid addiction in your community. Some of the reminders include:

  • Start with low dosages
  • When opioids are prescribed for acute pain, prescribe no more than needed
  • Never prescribe extended-release opioids for acute pain
  • Always discuss benefits and risks and availability of non-opioid treatments with patients before prescribing or continuing a prescription

Assessing the Risk and Harm at Your Practice

When you are working with patients who are receiving one prescription for opioids or renewing a prescription, you should always make assessing risk and addressing potential harm a priority. To properly consider risk and harms:

  • Evaluate each patient’s risk factors for opioid-related side effects and hazards
  • Check the prescription drug monitoring program for prescriptions from other providers or high dosages
  • Avoid prescribing benzodiazepine and opioids concurrently
  • Use urine drug testing to identify undisclosed use or the presence of prescribed substances
  • Arrange treatment for opioid use disorder if a patient is in need

Help Impact the Opioid Crisis with Vetters Enterprises

Vetters Enterprises specializes in practice management, private practice business support and revenue cycle optimization. We can perform in-depth assessments of your practice or facility and identify potential issues. Let us keep your business as healthy as you keep your patients! Give us a call at (443) 352-0088.

The Exciting Prospects of Pharmacogenomics

Posted on by VettersEnt

One of the newest and most promising developments in genetic testing could also help counteract the opioid epidemic. Pharmacogenomics is the practice of gene testing to determine how a patient’s body will react to specific medications. Pharmacogenomics is now covered by most insurances.

 

Genetics Affect More Than Previously Thought

Every person has thousands of genes that dictate their characteristics, from the color of their eyes to their blood type. As scientific research continues to advance, it is becoming apparent that genetics affect far more than was previously thought. Pharmacogenomics examines a patient’s genes for variations that may show whether or not a medication could be an effective treatment. Aside from helping to determine the efficacy of a drug treatment, this can also help to identify potential allergies before they occur.

The Basics of Pharmacogenomics Testing

The core purpose of pharmacogenomics testing is to determine whether or not a medication is appropriate for a patient. A patient will have a blood or saliva sample taken, and various tests will be performed to determine:

  • If a medication could be an effective treatment for the patient’s condition
  • What the ideal medication dosage should be
  • Whether or not an allergic reaction is likely to occur

Why Pharmacogenomics

Aside from the obvious benefits of the above, pharmacogenomics serves a variety of medical purposes. The study hopes to lead to drugs that are more customized to proteins, enzymes and RNA within each patient’s DNA. These high-powered medicines will do less damage and work more efficiently thanks to their customization.

The dosages for current medications will also become more accurate as height, weight and age will not be the only parameters. Instead, genetics will help customize the medication’s dosage, lower the chances of an overdose and help to reduce the likelihood of drug abuse.

Countless Patients Can Benefit

Depression is an incredibly common condition, and finding the right medication and dosage for patients is notoriously tricky. Pharmacogenomics could greatly assist with finding ideal psychiatric medications for struggling patients without the need for constant adjustments. With over 1 in 20 Americans suffering from depression, many people could stand to benefit.

Increase the Efficacy of Your Practice with Vetters Enterprises

Vetters Enterprises specializes in practice management, revenue cycle optimization, and private practice business support. We can perform detailed assessments of your practice or facility and identify potential issues. Let us keep your business as healthy as you keep your patients! Give us a call at (443) 352-0088.

Alternatives to Narcotics for Pain

Posted on by VettersEnt

The opioid crisis is affecting every state and every practice across the country. Every day, over 90 Americans die from opioid overdoses. This national crisis is growing in severity by the second, as prescription pain killers, heroin and synthetic opioids grow in popularity and availability. The need for non-narcotic pain killers is becoming more apparent.

The Dangers of Prescription Drugs

Prescription opioids like Vicodin, Percocet and Oxycontin are the leading cause of drug overdoses in the United States, as they account for a whopping 44% of overdose deaths. These drugs were designed to be slowly released in the stomach for extended pain relief, but abusers crush the pills for an immediate and intense high. Even attempts to reduce the crush-ability of Oxycontin by manufacturers did nothing to curtail drug use.

Difficult to Abuse

One of the current priorities of drug companies is creating prescription pain killers that are effective at pain relief, but more difficult to abuse. There are many different ways to treat pain that are harder to abuse. Topical medications are growing in popularity for arm, knee and hand strains. These creams can be applied direction to the skin and have been shown to provide the same level of effective relief without the extreme possibility of abuse.

Compounding pharmacies can custom-produce topical pain killing medications to meet the needs of your patients. These medications are harder to abuse, due to their form, and can provide a great deal of relief for patients with arthritis, who are recovering from surgery and who are recovering from an injury.

In addition to topical medications, you can encourage your patients to explore other pain relief alternatives including:

  • Physical therapy for the treatment of post-surgery pain or chronic pain
  • Acupuncture, particularly for managing chronic pain
  • Regular low-impact exercise like yoga or walking

Increase the Efficacy of Your Practice with Vetters Enterprises

Vetters Enterprises specializes in practice management, revenue cycle optimization, and private practice business support. We can perform detailed assessments of your practice or facility and identify potential issues. Let us keep your business as healthy as you keep your patients! Give us a call at (443) 352-0088.