Association of Primary Care Clinic Appointment Time with Opioid Prescribing

An open-source journal article presenting the findings of a study on whether characteristics of primary care appointment timing were associated with increased opioid prescribing. The hypothesis is that time pressure to provide a quick fix for the patient may be a reason why opioids are frequently prescribed in the United States. The authors found that the likelihood of an appointment resulting in an opioid prescription increased as the workday progressed and when appointments ran behind schedule.

Authors: H.T. Neprash & M.L. Barnett

Funding source: National Institute on Aging