Persistent post-discharge opioid use and opioid stewardship: A single-centre retrospective cohort study

Persistent post-operative opioid use is a public health concern contributing to population morbidity and mortality. Opioid stewardship is a strategy adopted to rationalise opioid prescribing and limit harmful use. We describe persistent post-discharge opioid use rates and risk factors in a single-centre cohort and describe the opioid stewardship role of our Acute Pain Service (APS). We conducted a retrospective 4-year cohort study of inpatients referred to the APS and discharged with new strong opioids prescribed. We investigated persistent post-discharge opioid use rates, risk factors and patterns of opioid use after community follow-up by APS. We found that 24% of patients discharged with new strong opioids developed persistent opioid use. Risk factors associated with persistent post-discharge opioid use in our cohort included female sex (Odds Ratios [95% confidence interval], <i>p</i> value, OR: 1.89 [1.11-3.22], <i>p</i> = 0.019), pre-admission mental health history (OR: 2.85 [1.64-4.95], <i>p</i> < 0.001) and pre-admission opioid use (OR: 1.79 [1.03-3.11], <i>p</i> = 0.004). A smaller proportion of patients with APS follow-up in community developed persistent opioid use (22%) compared to those without (32%). We conclude that having opioids prescribed at time of discharge can result in persistent opioid use in up to a quarter of patients. The APS has an important protective role in rationalising opioid use in hospital but also following discharge. Development of further opioid stewardship policies is needed including improvement of patient and staff awareness and pre-operative assessment of patients with recognised risk factors.