AUDIT OF OPIOID PRESCRIBING - THE EFFECT OF HOSPITAL GUIDELINES

The effects of prescribing guidelines for analgesia were assessed by a uditing prescriptions for opioids before and after the introduction of hospital prescribing guidelines. Opioid prescriptions were collected by the pharmacy department over a 2-week period in November 1994 and r epeated in November 1995. Following the initial audit, analgesic presc ribing guidelines were introduced. A statistically significant increas e was achieved in the number of prescriptions that were correct for bo th dose and frequency according to both the British National Formulary recommendations (40-61%; p < 0.001) and our Acute Pain Sendee guideli nes (16-26%; p < 0.05). There was a statistically significant decrease in the number of prescriptions that were inadequate for both dose and frequency according to both the British National Formulary recommenda tions (18-3%; p < 0.001) and our Acute Pain Service guidelines (36-17% ; p = 0.001). The ase of accessible prescribing guidelines promotes de monstrable improvements in opioid prescribing.