Category: Federal Forum Posters
Purpose: The Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act (CARA) was passed in 2016 to achieve a system-wide implementation of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs' Opioid Safety Initiative (OSI). With support from CARA and local leadership, the Central Texas Veterans Health Care System established pharmacist operated pain management clinics, which offered opioid taper assistance among various other services. The study aims to evaluate the success rate of pharmacist assisted opioid taper at the Central Texas Veterans Health Care System (CTVHCS) pain management clinics for local quality improvement.
Methods: The study will be submitted to the Institutional Review Board for approval as a quality improvement project. The electronic medical record (EMR) system will be utilized to identify non-cancer, non-pregnant patients that have had at least one opioid prescription for longer than 90 days, initiated on an opioid taper at the pharmacist operated pain management clinics. The following data will be collected: patient name, EMR patient identification number, indication for opioid taper; characteristics of opioid (name, formulation, dose), how long patient has been on opioid therapy, whether patient is on a concomitant benzodiazepine before the taper; whether the mental health clinic was consulted, and pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatment utilized during the taper. Characteristics of opioid at the end of the taper will be collected as well. Pharmacist documentations will be evaluated to confirm whether a successful opioid taper has been achieved (defined as moving down at least one overdose risk category based on amount of opioid patient is taking) after the 3 month taper period. Patients lost to follow up or those who refuse to continue taper will be tracked to calculate drop-out rate. If available, reason for drop-out will be collected.
Results: not applicable
Conclusion: not applicable
Haemy Chung
– PGY1 Pharmacy Resident, Central Texas Veterans Health Care System, Temple, TX135 Views