Pain Management and Opioid Tapering on Acute Inpatient Rehab

PM&R Resident CQI Drug Cost Project 2016‐2017 revealed opioids were the most common class of pain medication prescribed, consisting 15% of all medications ordered at discharge. Resident physicians are the providers most closely evaluating a patients pain medication use. We now know opioids have limited benefit as an analgesic in many cases, and come with serious side effects including death and diversion. We chose to investigate our opioid prescribing practices as a step toward better management of our patients' experienced pain. Overall goal of addressing pain with a wider scope of medications and modalities.