It was reported on Thursday that the Cherokee Regional Medical Center is among the first four hospitals in the state to announce participation in the Billion Pill Pledge program to prevent opioid addiction before it begins.
The goal of the program, which was announced last month by the Iowa Attorney General’s Office, is to reduce leftover opioids after surgery in the country by one-billion pills each year.
CRMC President and CEO Gary Jordan says they have been working for years to reduce opioid prescriptions and manage pain…(audio clip below :35 )
Jordan says the Cherokee Regional Medical Center will begin implementing the Billion Pill Pledge program in the next few weeks…(audio clip below :33 )
Through the program, each hospital will enhance its surgery protocols and optimize pain management around surgery to better prepare patients, better manage any surgery-related pain, and minimize opioid use before and after surgery.
Studies show nine-percent of surgery patients who have never used opioids become long-term users after receiving legally prescribed opioids after a surgery.
