Effect of the Strengthening Opioid Misuse Prevention (STOP) Act on Opioid Prescription Practices After Ankle Fracture Fixation

BACKGROUND: In North Carolina, the Strengthen Opioid Misuse Prevention Act of 2017 (STOP Act) went into effect on January 1, 2018, intending to increase oversight over opioid prescriptions. This study compares postoperative narcotic prescription practices following operative fixation of ankle fractures before and after the STOP Act. METHODS: This study was a retrospective review of patients 18 years and older who underwent operative fixation of ankle fractures between January 1 and June 30, 2017 (before STOP Act), and between January 1 and June 30, 2018 (after STOP Act). Variables of interest included demographics, amount of opioids prescribed postoperatively, number of prescription refills, and number of pain-related calls or visits to the emergency department (ED) or clinic after surgery. This study assessed 71 patients in the Pre group and 47 patients in the Post group. RESULTS: There was a statistically significant decrease in the average number of postoperative narcotic pills prescribed after the STOP Act (52.7 vs 76.2, P < .001). There was also a statistically significant decrease in the average number of prescription refills (0.6 vs 1.0, P = .037). There were no significant changes in pain-related clinic calls (35.2% Pre vs 34.0% Post, P = .896), pain-related clinic visits ahead of schedule (4.2% Pre vs 6.4% Post, P = .681), or pain-related ED visits (2.8% Pre vs 10.6% Post, P = .113). CONCLUSION: In the postoperative period after operative fixation of ankle fractures, the volume of narcotic prescriptions decreased after the new legislation, without an associated strain on medical resources. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level III, therapeutic, comparative study.