/ Modified feb 25, 2020 2:35 p.m.

What Arizona’s opioid prescription guidelines mean for physicians

An expert says old prescribing habits are hard to change, but that there has been a noticeable shift.

The state’s approach to reducing opioid-related overdoses included introducing new guidelines for prescribers. We learned more about the new rules in effect, as well as some of the challenges with implementing them, from Dr. Mohab Ibrahim, the director of the Chronic Pain Clinic at the UA College of Medicine.

“There’s more caution now when physicians or prescribers reach out for that opioid prescription. The state took some good measures in terms of the electronic prescriptions for opioids. It basically encouraged physicians to think about the consequences and also communicate these consequences with their patients,” Ibrahim said. “However, for some prescribers, this has been an old habit. And it’s going to take some time to change habits. But there has certainly been a noticeable change.”

Arizona 360
Arizona 360 airs Fridays at 8:30 p.m. on PBS 6 and Saturdays at 8 p.m. on PBS 6 PLUS. See more from Arizona 360.
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