Comparison of Tertiary Drug Information Resources With the CDC Guideline for Oxycodone Dosing: Are Patients at Risk?

Background: Inappropriate prescribing of opioids is thought to play a central role in the ongoing opioid health crisis. Tertiary information resources are commonly used by clinicians for obtaining opioid dosing information. To assist health care providers in pain management, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) developed a guideline for prescribing opioids. Objective: To identify discrepancies for dosing information on oxycodone between commonly used tertiary drug information resources and the CDC Guideline. Methods: Searches of the tertiary drug information resources were conducted in the following order: Facts and Comparisons, Lexicomp, Medscape, and Micromedex. The term “oxycodone” was entered in the search box in the tertiary resources’ applications. Drug information items retrieved were organized in tabular format. In the Google Chrome version 106.0.5249.119 search box, the term “CDC guideline for opioid dosing” was entered to retrieve current information on the CDC Guideline. Results: Searches produced drug information on oxycodone for available formulations, dosing regimens, recommended dosing, and maximum daily dose (MDD). Searches revealed discrepancies in dosing recommendations for oxycodone among tertiary drug resources and between tertiary drug resources and the CDC Guideline. Conclusions: When considering maximum daily dosing information for oxycodone from the selected tertiary drug information resources, the potential exists for patients to be at risk of addiction, overdose, and perhaps death. Improving the way opioids are prescribed through the CDC Clinical Practice Guideline can ensure patients have access to safer, more effective chronic pain treatment while reducing the number of people who misuse or overdose from inappropriate dosing information.