Prescription Drug Abuse Among Patients in Rural Dental Practices Reported by Members of the National Dental PBRN.
Abstract
This study compared rural to nonrural dentists with respect to opioid prescribing practices, perceptions about prescription drug abuse among patients, and training relevant to pain management and addictions. A web-based, cross-sectional questionnaire was administered to practicing dentist members of the National Dental Practice-Based Research Network (PBRN; N = 822) and linked with network enrollment questionnaire data regarding practitioner demographics and practice characteristics. Pain management prescribing practices and perceptions regarding relevance and scope of addiction and drug diversion among patients were assessed. Rural practice was defined as a practice whose ZIP Code has more than 50% of its population in either a nonmetropolitan county and/or a rural Census tract. Rural dentists were significantly more likely than their nonrural counterparts to recommend nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory agents/acetaminophen in combination with prescribing an opioid [F (1,820) = 4.59, P = .03]. Compared to nonrural dentists, rural dentists were more likely to report that opioid abuse/diversion was a problem in their practices [χ2 [1, n = 807] = 6.85, P < .001], were more likely to have suspected a patient of abuse or diversion [χ2 ...Continue Reading
References
Differences between reported and actual restored caries lesion depths: results from The Dental PBRN.
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