Docs more likely to give opioids later in the day and when behind schedule

The time of day has a notable impact on clinicians’ opioid prescribing decisions, according to a new study.

Conducted by researchers from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and the University of Minnesota, the study examined prescribing data from a large electronic database of physician visits and found that primary care physicians are more likely to prescribe opioids later in the day and when they’re running behind schedule.

“Physicians are people too, they can get tired and take shortcuts to get through their day,” Michael Barnett, assistant professor of health policy and management at Harvard Chan School and one of the study’s co-authors, said in a September 11, 2019 Minnesota Daily article. Barnett also noted that patients should not assume that their physicians’ prescribing decision is a 100% clear recommendation. “There is always uncertainty, and it’s okay to ask if you really need that opioid,” he said.

Read The Minnesota Daily article: UMN researcher finds doctors are more likely to prescribe opioids later in the day