Connecticut adopts opioid prescribing guidelines for EDs

The Connecticut Hospital Association, Connecticut State Medical Society, Connecticut Chapter of the American College of Emergency Physicians, and Connecticut Department of Public Health recently endorsed a set of voluntary opioid prescribing guidelines for emergency department medical staff. “Prescription painkiller and other opiate overdoses are a growing epidemic, and health care providers play an important role in addressing this public health crisis,” said DPH Commissioner Jewel Mullen, M.D. “These guidelines for responsible prescribing will help reduce the risk of opioid overuse that can lead to addiction and death in Connecticut communities.” About 1,900 visits to Connecticut hospital EDs last year were related to opioid overdoses, a 51% increase from 2011.