Postpartum Opioid Prescribing Patterns and Patient Utilization

Opiate abuse is a national epidemic and has paralleled the increase in opioid prescriptions, with diversion of surplus medication playing a key contributing role. As the majority of reproductive age women in the U.S. will experience childbirth, understanding opioid prescription patterns and patient opioid utilization in the postpartum period is critical.

Postpartum women will be recruited during a 9-month period to take part in pre-hospital discharge and 2-4 week postpartum surveys to prospectively assess opioid medication use with regard to quantity of opioid tablets prescribed and quantity used, storage and disposal of unused opioids and satisfaction with pain control.

Inclusion criteria

• Women who deliver during the recruitment period
• English-speaking
• Opiate-naïve (as determined by admission medication reconciliation)
• Receive oral opioid medications during inpatient postpartum admission
• 18 years or older

Exclusion criteria

• Contraindication to NSAID use
• Required use of general anesthesia without concurrent neuraxial analgesia
• Undergo hysterectomy, or unanticipated surgical procedures during the postpartum period
• Are admitted to the intensive care unit during their admission.