Impact of an emergency department opioid prescribing guideline on emergency physician behaviour and incidence of overdose in the Saskatoon Health Region: a retrospective pre-post implementation analysis.

Background: Deaths related to opioid overdoses are increasing in North America, with the emergency department being identified as a potential contributor toward this epidemic. Our goal was to determine whether a departmental guideline for the prescribing of restricted medications resulted in a reduction in opioids prescribed in a Canadian setting, with a secondary objective of determining the impact on local overdose frequency.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis of the prescribing habits of emergency department physicians in 3 hospitals in the Saskatoon Health Region, Saskatchewan, before (Nov.