• Joachim O Hero, Caitlin McMurtry, John Benson, and Robert Blendon.
• Interfaculty Initiative in Health Policy, Harvard University, Boston, Massachusetts Hero@fas.harvard.edu.
• Ann Fam Med. 2016 Nov 1; 14 (6): 575-577.

AbstractWe used 2 population-representative surveys to evaluate the recommendation from recent clinical guidelines for prescribing opioid analgesics that physicians discuss the risk of long-term use disorders with patients. In nationally representative data we observed a 60% lower rate, after adjustment for covariates, in a self-reported saving of pills among respondents who say they talked with their physicians about the risks of prescription painkiller addiction (67% lower rate without adjustment). These findings suggest patient education efforts, as currently practiced in the United States, may have positive behavioral consequences that could lower the risks of prescription painkiller abuse. Future research should test these associations under controlled settings.© 2016 Annals of Family Medicine, Inc.

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