Advancements of Nursing Care in Interventions to Reduce Overprescribing and Adverse Effects of Opioids Postoperative Pain Management

Abstract

Opioids are a class of medications that block receptors in the brain that signal pain. The use of this medication can result in substance abuse disorder which poses a risk of overdose and death. The rise in opioid prescriptions highlights the demand for new interventions to be implemented when assessing the need for opioids in treatment plans. A licensed prescribing healthcare provider uses diagnostic tools to evaluate the requirement of a medication. By encouraging the use of effective interventions in healthcare facilities, there will be a reduction in overprescribing; decreasing the risk of poorly managed treatment, opioid abuse disorder, overdose, and death. Opioids can be taken responsibly and are effective in managing pain. However, there are measures that can be implemented to ensure medication is not being abused and is the right match. A systematic literature review was performed using the CINAHL Plus database to investigate interventions that healthcare providers have implemented to prevent overprescribing of opioids. Major themes are (a) presentation of prescribing behaviors to surgeons reduced overprescribing, (b) standardization of number of pills distributed based on surgeries decreases number of opioids prescribed, (c) screening tools to properly assess client qualifications for opioids, (d) non-narcotic methods: use of Transversus Abdominis Plane (TAP) block. The opioid crisis, management of opioids, prescribing behaviors amongst healthcare providers, and interventions targeting opioid abuse, are topics of focus for this literature review. In order to prevent complications in clients taking opioids, interventions must be implemented.