336 The Effect of Implementing Electronic Health Record Default Prescribing Preferences on Opioid Prescriptions Written in the Emergency Department

The United States is in the midst of an opioid epidemic. Of more than 42,000 opioid deaths in 2016, 40% were related to prescription medications. Emergency department (ED) visit prescriptions may provide the initial exposure for many patients who subsequently misuse or develop opioid use disorder (OUD). Physician prescribing patterns can vary extensively, however ED physicians are among the top 5 opioid prescribers in all medical specialties in almost all age groups. It is well documented that a larger quantity of tablets or prolonged prescription duration is associated with increased risk of chronic opioid use.

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