CalvertHealth Makes Major Gains in Battling the Opioid Epidemic
Provider guidelines, community outreach, and technology lead to a drastic reduction in opioid prescriptions at CalvertHealth.
In 2015, CalvertHealth Medical Center (Prince Frederick, MD) was rated the area's top prescriber for opioids as measured by morphine milligram equivalents — a watershed moment for the organization.
Recognizing its obligation to attack the crisis, CalvertHealth created an opioid stewardship task force aimed at achieving buy-in from community physicians, pharmacists, dentists and local support programs. Efforts included tailored brochures for providers outlining the hospital’s goals.
The organization also leveraged technology by becoming a member of the Chesapeake Regional Information System for our Patients (CRISP) program and using decision support in MEDITECH’s EHR. A single sign-on button available in MEDITECH streamlines access to the CRISP database, allowing physicians to track prescription information outside of Calvert.
Read more about Calvert’s efforts in battling the epidemic and how their program resulted in a 94 percent reduction in DilaudidⓇ use and a 46 percent decrease in other opioids.
Read how CalvertHealth is using MEDITECH's EHR to significantly reduce opioid use.
