Orthopedic Surgeons Prescribe Less Opioids in States with Access to Medical Cannabis

In states the allowed access to medical cannabis there was a reduction in opioid prescriptions by orthopedic surgeons to Medicare Part D patients, according to results presented in a poster at the 2020 Orthopaedic Research Society Annual Meeting.

Researchers used data from the Medicare Part D Prescription Drug Event to track annual aggregate daily doses of all orthopedic surgeon prescribed opioid medications in the United States and looked for links between state cannabis regulations and total daily doses of opioids.

The found that medical cannabis laws were associated with a reduction in opioid prescriptions by orthopedic surgeons.

In states that allowed patients access to medical-grade cannabis, there was a 19.7% reduction in opioid prescriptions in a given year, according to the presentation.

Reference

Lopez CD, Boddapati V, Jobin CJ, et al. Orthopedic Surgeons Prescribe Fewer Opioids To Medicare Part D Patients In States With Medical Cannabis Laws. Poster 518. Presented at: Orthopaedic Research Society Annual Meeting; Feb. 8-11, 2020; Phoenix.