Summary Extended‐release opioids are often prescribed to manage postoperative pain despite being difficult to titrate to analgesic requirements and their association with long‐term opioid use. An Australian/New Zealand organisational position statement released in March 2018 recommended avoiding extended‐release opioid prescribing for acute pain. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of this organisational position statement on extended‐release opioid prescribing among surgical inpatients. Secondary objectives included predictors and clinical outcomes of prescribing extended‐release opioids among surgical inpatients. We conducted a retrospective, dual centre, 11‐month before‐and‐after study and time‐series analysis by utilising electronic medical records from two teaching hospitals in Sydney, Australia. The primary outcome was the proportion of patients prescribed an extended‐release opioid. For surgical patients prescribed any opioid (n = 16,284), extended‐release opioid prescribing decreased after the release of the position statement (38.4% before vs. 26.6% after, p < 0.001), primarily driven by a reduction in extended‐release oxycodone (31.1% before vs. 14.1% after, p < 0.001). There was a 23% immediate decline in extended‐release opioid prescribing after the position statement release (p < 0.001), followed by an additional 0.2% decline per month in the following months. Multivariable regression showed that the release of the position statement was associated with a decrease in extended‐release opioid prescribing (OR 0.54, 95%CI 0.50–0.58). Extended‐release opioid prescribing was also associated with increased incidence of opioid‐related adverse events (OR 1.52, 95%CI 1.35–1.71); length of stay (RR 1.44, 95%CI 1.39–1.51); and 28‐day re‐admission (OR 1.26, 95%CI 1.12–1.41). Overall, a reduction in extended‐release opioid prescribing was observed in surgical inpatients following position statement release.

Aims This systematic review aimed to quantify the prevalence of adverse drug events (ADEs) and adverse drug reactions (ADRs) in older inpatients with dementia. Methods A systematic search of observational studies was performed in Embase, Medline, PsycINFO, International Pharmaceutical Abstracts, Scopus and Informit. Articles published in English that reported the prevalence of ADEs or ADRs in hospital patients aged 65 years or older with dementia were included. Two authors reviewed titles and abstracts and all eligible full‐text articles. Relevant information relating to ADEs, ADRs and dementia was obtained from each article. Results In total, 5 articles were included. One study reported the prevalence of ADEs to be 81.5%, defined using the Naranjo algorithm. Four studies assessed the prevalence of ADRs, ranging from 12.7 to 24.0%, assessed using various methods. One study defined ADRs according to the World Health Organization‐Uppsala Monitoring Centre criteria, 2 studies employed the World Health Organization definition and 1 study did not explicitly define ADRs. The most frequently reported drug classes implicated in ADEs and ADRs were psychotropic, antihypertensive and analgesic drugs. Conclusion Our findings suggest a high prevalence of ADEs and ADRs in older inpatients with dementia. However, only 1 study documented ADEs and there was variability in approaches to ADR assessment. A greater understanding of ADEs and ADRs, as well as tailored assessment tools, will promote prevention of ADEs and ADRs in people with dementia.

Objective To evaluate the effectiveness of stewardship interventions in reducing the prescribing of extended-release opioids for acute pain. Design Systematic review of randomized controlled trials, pre–post intervention studies, cohort studies and case–control studies. Methods A search was conducted using Medline, Scopus, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, International Pharmaceutical Abstracts, and PsycINFO from inception to March 24, 2019. Search terms included opioids, interventions, extended-release, and acute pain. Included articles were original research articles outlining the impact of stewardship interventions on reducing the prescribing of extended-release opioids for acute pain. Results The search resulted in 1,264 articles after the removal of duplicates. Of these, 141 full texts were assessed, with three eligible for inclusion. One additional article was obtained via a manual search. Three studies explored forcing function interventions; two included prior authorization policies, which saw decreases in extended-release/long-acting scripts by 18–36%, while another evaluated order restrictions producing increased adherence to guidelines by 36%. One study explored the impact of education targeting prescribers and patients through a risk mitigation and evaluation strategy, which decreased extended-release/long-acting quarterly script volumes by 4.3%. All studies were performed at system levels. Forcing function interventions decreased extended-release/long-acting prescriptions and increased adherence to guidelines to a greater extent than less restrictive interventions such as education. Conclusions Forcing function interventions implemented at system levels show promise in decreasing the prescribing of extended-release opioids for acute pain. The current lack of literature warrants future research to increase understanding of the effectiveness of such interventions.