Measuring Success
Key Success Factors When Establishing an Opioid Stewardship Committee
- Clear mission statement and goals
- Well-defined accountability structure
- C-Suite engagement and support
- Multidisciplinary participation on the committee, especially from pharmacy leadership and departments that prescribe opioids or treat opioid addiction
- Formal involvement of IT leadership on the opioid stewardship committee, as well as IT participation and engagement in any applicable opioid stewardship committee subgroups or task forces
- Protected time for leaders to participate on opioid stewardship committee-related tasks
Key Takeaways
- Creating an opioid stewardship committee that is positioned to succeed requires support and engagement from C-level leadership
- Multidisciplinary participation on the opioid stewardship committee is also key
- IT should play a significant role on the opioid stewardship committee – both at the leadership level as well as engagement in committee subgroups and task forces
- The specific structure of the opioid stewardship committee (stakeholders involved, subcommittee tasks, overall oversight, etc.) should reflect the unique goals and scope of the opioid stewardship program as well as the needs of the community
Resources
- NQF “Playbook” on Opioid Stewardship (March 2018)
- “Strategies for Promoting the Safe Use and Appropriate Prescribing of Prescription Opioids,” Duke Margolis Center for Health Policy, February 2018
- “Stem the Tide: Addressing the Opioid Epidemic,” American Hospital Association, 2017
- “Safer and more appropriate opioid prescribing: a large healthcare system’s comprehensive approach.” Losby JL, Hyatt JD, Kanter MH, Baldwin G, Matsuoka D. J Eval Clin Pract. 2017;23:1173–1179.