It’s no secret that there has been a rise in cosmetic procedures during the COVID-19 pandemic.¹ While this is certainly positive business news for the plastic surgery arena, it also means that surgeons may come across more patients who are not fully sharing their medication histories.
In particular, a 2017 study in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery – Global Open found that there is an emergence of safety concerns when patients withhold their medical history information over the course of their treatment.²
The study found that plastic surgery patients as a subgroup are more likely to be on psychoactive medications than the general U.S. population – with 33.6 percent of cosmetic patients and 46.3 percent of reconstructive patients using these types of medications. The report notes that a patient’s drug history form needs to be appropriately updated as care progresses and that there needs to be more training for plastic surgeons to manage this issue.
In addition to the issue of patients using psychoactive medications before, during, and after surgery, the prescribing of opioids has become common for pain management, post-surgery. According to this 2019 study, opioids account for more than 90 percent of the painkillers used after plastic and reconstructive procedures.³
Fortunately, today’s ePrescribing solutions for plastic surgeons offer access to patients’ medication prescription histories on-demand – in either a mobile or desktop environment. In addition to eliminating prescribing errors, this data aids in efficient medication reconciliation, which helps reduce adverse drug events. Most important it gives plastic surgeons the vital information needed for developing safe and effective pain management programs for patients.
Along the lines of pain management, plastic surgeons in the United States will soon have to use Electronic Prescribing of Controlled Substance (EPCS) technology when prescribing controlled substances, including psychiatric medications, to Medicare patients.
This is where ePrescribing also comes into play. In addition to providing all patient medication history on demand, Juno RxTracker is an EPCS-certified solution that boosts patient safety through an automated electronic prescription process for all medications, including controlled substances.
It is easy to use, effective and does not require massive IT investments or technical capabilities. Juno RxTracker can also be used as a stand-alone solution that does not require an EHR. Our dedicated Onboarding Specialists can get you up and running in three easy steps with the highest level of confidence.
As plastic surgery continues to rise in popularity due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the ability to both safely prescribe medications, and have full access to a patient’s medication history, will continue to be vitally important.
Sources:
- Cosmetic Procedures Are In Demand During The Pandemic
- Psychoactive Drugs in Plastic Surgery
- Opioid Prescriptions After Plastic Surgery Tied to Long-Term Use
