Legislative Changes on Opioid Prescriptions for Ocular Procedures in a United States Cohort.

Abstract

This ecological study examines the prevalence of postoperative opioid prescriptions among ophthalmic surgical patients during the implementation of four opioid policy interventions in Ohio. Changes in ophthalmic prescribing among 53 health care systems throughout the United States are compared to a population from the MetroHealth System in Cuyahoga County, Ohio. Opioid prescription prevalence spiked among all populations amid Ohio's "pill mill" and mandatory registration policies and then consistently decreased during the state's mandatory reporting and number-of-day restrictions. Black, Hispanic, and male subgroups across the country were more likely to receive opioids relative to other subgroups during most policy periods, but their rates were likely driven by trauma-related procedures. Prescribing fluctuations among ophthalmologists in the MetroHealth System generally matched national trends and did not correlate with prescribing trends among other specialties in Ohio. Consistent with previous research, opioid prescribing in ophthalmology remains low compared to other specialties throughout the country. [Ophthalmic Surg Lasers Imaging Retina 2025;56:312-315.].