Pardon Our Dust
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GA-18-380: This report examines the progress the progress the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) has made improving opioid safety through its Opioid Safety Initiative (OSI).
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Since the OSI began, VHA has seen reduction in opioid prescribing rates. |
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Percentage of patients dispensed an opioid by VHA
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A decrease of about |
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| GAO found several factors that may have contributed to inconsistent adherence to key opioid risk mitigation strategies at the selected VHA facilities. | |
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| Four of the five selected facilities did not have a pain champion (a primary care position required by VHA that can help providers adhere to opioid risk mitigation strategies). | |
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Not all facilities had access to academic detailing, a program in which trained clinical pharmacists work one-on-one with providers to better inform them about evidence-based care related to the appropriate treatment of relevant medical conditions. |
| Three of the five facilities did not consistently review veterans’ medical records to ensure provider adherence to these strategies. |  |
For more information on this GAO report and other healthcare news, read our Washington Healthcare Update.