Penn Today: Division of Public Safety unveils drug drop-off box

“Meanwhile, the Center for Health Incentives & Behavioral Economics in the Department of Medical Ethics & Health Policy at Penn’s Perelman School of Medicine, a team of researchers are working on projects to address the crisis where it often begins: when patients, family members, or friends are first prescribed an opioid for pain management. Kit Delgado from CHIBE examined how to reduce the “default number” of pills the emergency department orders for opioid prescriptions to match current guidelines and gathering social comparison feedback from clinicians. In addition, Delgado is collecting data from patients who were prescribed opioids after orthopedic surgery in order to “right-size” the prescription quantities. CHIBE is also funding four pilot projects focusing on reducing the opioid epidemic, including creating decision tools to foster discussions on other-than-opioid treatment options for pain; using text messaging to help measure pain management; increasing mobility among veterans with chronic pain; and embracing a partnership with the Philadelphia Department of Public Health and the Free Library of Philadelphia to work on “bottlenecks” that prevent individuals from carrying naloxone, an opioid overdose reversal substance.” Read more here.