Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®
Articles 1 - 1 of 1
Full-Text Articles in Medicine and Health Sciences
Educating Patients About Opioid Disposal: A Key Role For Perianesthesia Nurses, Katreena C. Merrill, Valynn Christina Haslam, Karlen E. (Beth) Luthy, Craig Nuttall
Educating Patients About Opioid Disposal: A Key Role For Perianesthesia Nurses, Katreena C. Merrill, Valynn Christina Haslam, Karlen E. (Beth) Luthy, Craig Nuttall
Faculty Publications
Purpose: To examine opioid prescription practices, patient use of opioids after laparoscopic cholecystectomy, and patient knowledge about disposal of unused medication.
Design: Mixed methods design with a chart review and structured phone interview.
Methods: Thirty-four patients were interviewed by phone and asked how many opioids were prescribed, how many excess pills they had 6 to 10 days postoperatively, and if they knew how to dispose of them.
Findings: Average number of excess pills ranged from 0 to 42 (mean = 14; SD = 11.7). Nearly half of patients (47%) perceived the prescribed quantity as “too many.” Seventy-one percent of patients …