Does a performance improvement prescribing guideline reduce opioid prescriptions for emergency department dental pain patients?
A performance improvement program involving a departmental prescribing guideline was associated with a reduction in the rate of opioid prescriptions and visits for ED patients presenting with dental pain.
This study shows that external factors, particularly available resources, influence the number of patients on a surgical waiting list. The main factors are lack of beds and theatre sessions. Furthermore, an imbalance between them will result in insufficient beds being available to fill those theatre sessions that do exist. Surgeons have little control over their routine waiting lists.