As health care providers licensed to provide prescription medications, dentists must educate themselves about safe and responsible prescribing, as well as identify potential abuse by their patients.
Opioids are commonly prescribed by the medical and dental professions to relieve pain. There is a widely publicized opioid epidemic. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), out of the 63,632 lethal drug overdoses in 2016, opioids accounted for 42,249 deaths (66 percent). The CDC also advises that overdose is not the only risk related to prescription opioids. Misuse, abuse and opioid use disorder (addiction) are also potential dangers.
As prescribers of opioids, dentists and the dental profession have a role in preventing their misuse. As the nation’s leading dental benefits provider, covering more than 75 million Americans and offering the country’s largest dental network with roughly 153,000 participating dentists, Delta Dental recommends the following industry norms to better manage the prescribing of opioids:
Dentists should have a discussion with patients regarding the risks and complications of any medications they prescribe, including opioids. The patient should also be instructed on responsible storage and disposal of prescription opioids and the potential for misuse and abuse. Safe disposal instructions should be given to patients, to ensure unused medications are not misused or improperly disposed of.
Dentists should follow and continually review CDC guidelines, as well as their State Licensing Board recommendations for safe opioid prescribing.
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