ICSI

Opioid Initiatives

For the past several years, ICSI has led multiple efforts to combat the opioid epidemic. These initiatives are designed with the goal of enhancing safe prescribing practices for pain management, prevention of transition from acute to chronic opioid use, and reducing extra pills in the community. Our work is based on the most current evidence, combined with the expertise of our multidisciplinary work groups and includes:

NEW: Chronic Pain and Long-term Opioid Medication: Building a New Culture

Healthcare systems need to rethink and redesign approaches to more reliably provide safe and effective care for people with chronic pain, and those on opioid therapy. This new paper from ICSI provides insights from patients, family members, and prescribers. Download paper here.

Opioid Prescribing Quality Improvement Webinars

This series of webinars share practical QI guidance, including improving post-operative prescribing. These webinars are part of DHS Opioid Prescribing Improvement Program, supporting health care systems’ and providers’ efforts to build a safer opioid prescribing culture in Minnesota.

Opioid Prescribing Improvement Guide – In Partnership with DHS

Starting in 2024, providers across MN received reports detailing their opioid prescribing, for acute, post-acute, and chronic pain from DHS. The Opioid Prescribing Improvement Guide will help individual providers and organizations walk through a step-by-step guide to improve opioid prescribing.

Opioid Postoperative Prescribing Initiative

ICSI’s postop prescribing toolkit has been updated with goals derived from 2024 claims data.

Surgeons from across the state participated in the work of the MN Health Collaborative to reduce the amount of opioids prescribed at postoperative discharge. Using existing literature, community data, and clinician expertise, the working group has identified procedure-specific benchmarks for postoperative opioid prescribing. The group encourages patient-centered, procedure-specific MME goals that acknowledge varying needs of pain management for different surgical procedures. Best practices and learnings from this project will be available to the healthcare community in our opioid postoperative prescribing toolkit, created in partnership with MN DHS.

Need Easy Access to Opioid Management Guidance?

Medication for Opioid Use Disorder (MOUD) Best Practices Hub

ICSI has launched a MOUD Best Practices Hub. The website is a comprehensive resource for medical professionals seeking information on MOUD and MOUD-related services. The MOUD was done in partnership with MDH. Go to the MOUD Best Practices Hub.

ICSI Guidelines on Pain and Opioids

ICSI’s Guidelines address both the management of pain and the use of opioids. Existing Guidelines include:

De-mystifying Opioids

This package was created by organizations in the MN Health Collaborative to help front line providers with common issues in opioid management. The package includes algorithms to screen, diagnose, and manage opioid use disorders as well as frequently asked questions (FAQ’s) on opioid tapering. Download the De-mystifying Opioids Package (PDF).

Opioid Acute Non-surgical Prescribing

Organizations in the MN Health Collaborative focused efforts on reducing the amount of opioids prescribed for acute nonsurgical pain. This work, which began in 2017, focused on prescribing standards for first opioid prescriptions in ambulatory settings including clinics, urgent care, emergency rooms, and dentistry. Providers are recommended to start with non-opioid options, and if opioids are given, prescribe no more than 100 morphine milligram equivalents (MME) total in the initial prescription, especially for opioid-naïve patients.

Opioid Disposal

The disposal working group of the MN Health Collaborative created a Call to Action in the fall of 2017 to elevate provider and patient awareness about the importance of disposal and the methods available for outpatient disposal. Read the Call to Action (PDF).