Billion Pill Pledge

The Goldfinch Health Prepared for Surgery Tool Kits continue to be a big hit with our patients (and others in their homes🤣)!

We are excited to announce Clarke County Hospital's participation in the Billion Pill Pledge! Thank you for hosting the Office of the Attorney General of Iowa and Goldfinch Health to discuss the opioid epidemic and how the Billion Pill Pledge program is reducing the need for opioid pain medications after surgery.

Clarke County Hospital Launches New Program aimed at Optimizing Pain Management and Reducing Opioid Use Clarke County Hospital announces participation in the Billion Pill Pledge program, launched in conjunction with Goldfinch Health. The program aims to reduce opioid use through enhancing surgery protocols and optimizing pain management around surgery. Attorney General Brenna Bird led a panel discussi...

Congratulations and thank you to our newest BPP Champion Cathy Haley, RN at Story Medical.

Cathy's enthusiasm, commitment and leadership have been integral to the enhancement of Story County Medical Center's surgical and pain management protocols. With gratitude, we recognize your efforts, which have contributed significantly to the health and safety of the patients and communities you serve.

Prioritizing prevention efforts in state opioid settlement plans is essential to impacting the opioid epidemic for years to come.

https://medcitynews.com/2023/07/prioritize-prevention-in-state-opioid-settlement-plans/

Prioritize Prevention in State Opioid Settlement Plans While communities should tailor their opioid settlement spending strategies to their local needs, we should embrace basic, population-focused prevention strategies. Prevention efforts can turn the tide of addiction for decades to come. And they are where we’ll get the biggest bang for our buck.

Well said, Dr. Volz!

https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/06/21/tackling-the-opioid-crisis-demands-multiple-approaches/

Tackling the opioid crisis demands multiple approaches | Nebraska Examiner While we are nowhere near the end of opioid crisis, I believe the first rays of sunshine are peeking over the horizon.

The opioid epidemic is not only impacting urban communities, but also heavily impacting our rural communities. Minnesota Farm Bureau Foundation director Ruth Meirick says, “Three out of four farm families have been impacted by the opioid epidemic, and three out of four farmers say they can access large amounts of prescription medicine without a prescription.”

The Billion Pill Pledge's opioid first dose prevention program also partners with rural hospitals to help decrease the number of opioids available for misuse or diversion in those communities.

https://brownfieldagnews.com/news/opioid-epidemic-impacts-3-out-of-4-farm-families/

Opioid epidemic impacts 3 out of 4 farm families - Brownfield Ag News The opioid epidemic continues to wreak havoc on rural America. Minnesota Farm Bureau Foundation director Ruth Meirick says opioid addiction is impacting rural families at greater numbers than the urban population. “Three out of four farm families have been impacted by the opioid epidemic, and thre...

Please help us congratulate our next BPP Champion, Gina Vacura, RN from Floyd Valley Healthcare.

With gratitude, we recognize your efforts, which have contributed significantly to the health and safety of the patients and communities you serve. Gina’s commitment to implementing the Billion Pill Pledge program and leadership have been integral to the enhancement of Floyd Valley Healthcare’s surgical and pain management protocols. Thank you, Gina!

This Saturday, April 22, is the next United States DEA’s National Prescription Take Back Day. To find a take back location near you, visit https://www.dea.gov/takebackday.

Can't participate Saturday? Members enrolled in the Billion Pill Pledge program, through their hospital, can utilize their Rx Destroyer - Drug Disposal System to routinely dispose of unwanted medication at any time.

Take Back Day The drug overdose epidemic in the United States is a clear and present public health, public safety, and national security threat. DEA’s National Prescription Drug Take Back Day reflects DEA’s commitment to Americans’ safety and health, encouraging the public to remove unneeded medications fro...

Our updated website launched this week - check out the new Billion Pill Pledge site to learn more about our critical opioid first dose prevention program.

www.billionpillpledge.com

"Having recent opioid fills among household members is associated with increased odds (increased by 60%) of opioid overdose for individuals who live in the same household," the authors write.

Through the Billion Pill Pledge we emphasize opioid minimizing approaches to pain management - this is key in first dose prevention and having fewer doses available for diversion.



https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2802559

Goldfinch Health cofounder, John Greenwood and Cherokee Regional Medical Center CEO, Gary Jordan, discuss the Billion Pill Pledge program (powered by Goldfinch Health) and how the program is reducing need for opioids after surgery with Waverle Monroe at KETV NewsWatch 7.

https://www.ketv.com/amp/article/iowa-billion-pill-pledge-program-aims-to-reduce-need-for-opioids-post-surgery/43047742

Billion Pill Pledge: Iowa program aims to reduce need for opioids post-surgery "When we can start putting together data like we're doing with this study, then that educates everybody and then everybody else starts getting on, 'This will work,'" Gary Jordan said.

Please help us congratulate our first BPP Champion, Dondee Halverson, RN from Cherokee Regional Medical Center.

Dondee’s commitment and leadership have been integral to the enhancement of Cherokee Regional Medical Center's surgical and pain management protocols. With gratitude, we recognize your efforts, which have contributed significantly to the health and safety of the patients and communities you serve.

"Requiring patients to request opioid prescriptions following total knee arthroplasty (TKA) resulted in a higher rate of opioid free TKA, especially among opioid-naïve patients, without increasing pain compared with offering all patients an initial opioid prescription." 👏 👏

A modern multimodal pain protocol eliminates the need for opioids for most patients following total knee arthroplasty: results from a retrospective comparative cohort study - Journal of Experimental Orthopaedics Purpose Modern multimodal analgesia has been shown to significantly reduce opioid use following total knee arthroplasty (TKA). This study was conducted to determine if changing TKA discharge opioid prescriptions from automatic to upon request resulted in more opioid free recoveries without compromis...

Congresswoman Miller-Meeks mentions the Billion Pill Pledge program is critical to help reduce first dose opioid exposure at the Energy & Commerce Health Subcommittee.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9pkmDrYwMwo

Congresswoman Miller-Meeks Questions Witnesses Further at Energy & Commerce Health Subcommittee Congresswoman Miller-Meeks Questions Witnesses Further at Energy & Commerce Health Subcommittee "Lives Worth Living: Addressing The Fentanyl Crisis, Protecti...

Through multi-modal pain management, cardiac surgeons find pain control and patient satisfaction is feasible when putting strict limits on perioperative opioid use (even when dropping to zero opioids).

https://www.medpagetoday.com/meetingcoverage/sts/102741?xid=nl_mpt_morningbreak2023-01-23&eun=g2160842d0r&utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=MorningBreak_012323&utm_term=NL_Gen_Int_Daily_News_Update_active

www.medpagetoday.com

Study finds enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) protocol is associated with a reduction in intra-operative opioid use and opioids prescribed for post-op pain. The study also found those patients made less calls and visits related to pain (despite having lower doses of opioids prescribed).

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0090825822004243

Enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) protocol is associated with lower post-operative opioid use and a reduced office burden after minimally invasive surgery Enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) has decreased hospital opioid use, but less attention has been directed towards its impact on clinic burden wit…

Ohio State University reducing post-op opioid prescriptions in half by implementing opioid-sparing protocols while managing patients pain better - great work, OSU!

https://www.cleveland19.com/video/2023/01/13/opioid-sparing-approach-post-operative-care-reducing-op**te-prescriptions-half/

Opioid-sparing approach to post-operative care reducing op**te prescriptions in half

Nurses can play a crucial role in helping to prevent opioid addiction by helping patients set realistic pain management expectations, educating patients on opioid-minimizing pain control alternatives and explaining the risks associated with opioids. Goldfinch Health nurses support, educate and advocate for Billion Pill Pledge patients help accelerate the adoption of opioid-minimizing surgery protocols.

https://dailynurse.com/nurses-can-help-prevent-opioid-addiction/

How Nurses Can Help Prevent Opioid Addiction - Daily Nurse Get more news like this - plus jobs - each week.Subscribe to The Weekly Boost - the weekly email newsletter for DailyNurse. You have Successfully Subscribed! See alsoHHS: Don't Withdraw Opioids Suddenly

HCA Healthcare expanding Enhanced Recovery principles after finding such protocols resulted in better outcomes, decreased opioid usage and faster recovery times for patients.

https://hcahealthcaretoday.com/2022/12/13/hca-healthcares-innovative-approach-to-surgical-recovery-promotes-better-outcomes-decreased-opioid-usage-and-faster-recovery-times-for-patients/

To Combat Opioid Epidemic, Step Up Safe Prescribing Practices, Expert Urges. Through the Billion Pill Pledge we emphasize opioid minimizing approaches to pain management.

https://www.medpagetoday.com/meetingcoverage/suo/102036?xid=nl_mpt_pain_management_update_2022-12-08&eun=g2160842d0r&utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Pain%20Mananagement%20Specialty%20Automation%202022-12-08&utm_term=NL_Gen_Int_SurveySlideshows_PainManagement

Post surgery, patients who received non-opioid prescriptions were more likely to report having no pain in the first week than those who received opioids - both groups reported equal levels of patient satisfaction.

https://www.pharmacytimes.com/view/many-opioid-prescriptions-after-surgery-are-unnecessary-study-finds

Many Opioid Prescriptions After Surgery Are Unnecessary, Study Finds Patients who received non-opioid prescriptions were more likely to report having no pain in the first week after surgery than those who received opioids and both groups reported equal levels of satisfaction.

States differ on how best to spend settlement dollars from opioid cases. With over 3 billion leftover opioid pills following surgery annually, states should be considering how to decrease pills available for diversion after surgical procedures.

The Billion Pill Pledge program aims to remove or avoid 1+ billion opioids from medicine cabinets in the US. Our primary prevention program emphasizes multimodal pain management, enhanced surgical pathways, and fewer opioids.

https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2022/11/22/1137000211/opioid-settlement-funds-who-gets-what

Regional Medical Center in Manchester is one of our first four hospitals to hit the ground running with the Billion Pill Pledge program, powered by Goldfinch Health!

https://www.telegraphherald.com/news/tri-state/article_3a8b6a14-5ea5-11ed-9f3e-8776589d47b3.html

Manchester hospital joins program aimed at reducing opioid misuse MANCHESTER, Iowa — A local hospital is one of the first four rural health care facilities in the state to join a program designed to reduce opioid misuse in Iowa

A Goldfinch Health member shared the following about their 5-star experience!

Stanford study: 30% of opioid-naive Medicaid patients develop a dependency after prescription. https://medcitynews.com/2022/09/stanford-study-30-of-opioid-naive-medicaid-patients-develop-a-dependency-after-prescription/

The CDC has released a new Clinical Practice Guideline for Prescribing Opioids for Pain. Key principles include: emphasize multimodal pain management approaches and prescribe fewer opioids (because fewer will be needed).

These are the exact principles underpinning the Billion Pill Pledge, powered by Goldfinch Health.

https://www.medpagetoday.com/neurology/opioids/101559?xid=NL_breakingnewsalert_2022-11-03&eun=g2160842d0r&utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=CDCOpioidAlert_110322&utm_term=NL_Daily_Breaking_News_Active

www.medpagetoday.com

Help us welcome Cherokee Regional Medical Center to the Billion Pill Pledge program! We are excited to partner with them on this extremely important initiative.

Leader in Billion Pill Pledge Program - Cherokee Regional Medical Center Cherokee Regional Medical Center Takes Lead Role in New Program Aimed at Optimizing Pain Management The Billion Pill Pledge program, backed by Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller, is designed to READ MORE

Thank you Decatur County Hospital for participating in the Billion Pill Pledge - we are excited to continue working with you in an expanded capacity!

Decatur County Hospital is proud to announce participation today in the Billion Pill Pledge program, launched in conjunction with Goldfinch Health. This is an expansion of our current participation in the Goldfinch Health Nurse Navigator program.

In October, Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller announced the initiative designed to prevent opioid addiction before it begins.

The mission of the Billion Pill Pledge is to reduce leftover opioids after surgery in the United States by 1 billion pills each year

Through the Billion Pill Pledge program, Decatur County Hospital will enhance its surgery protocols and optimize pain management around surgery, which should enhance patients’ preparation for surgery, better manage any surgery-related pain, and minimize opioid use both before and after surgery.

As a part of this FREE program, Decatur County Hospital surgical patients will have access to a Goldfinch Nurse Navigator who are experts in surgery and recovery.

This is a free service available to patients who undergo total joint replacements, general, or vascular surgery at Decatur County Hospital. The program will be expanded to other surgical procedures in the future.

Depending on your insurance, you likely do not need a referral to see our surgeons and specialists. To learn more and schedule your consultation, call our Outpatient Clinic at 641-446-2285.

Visit https://www.decaturcountyhospital.org/news/billion-pill-pledge/ to read the full press release.

The first four hospitals participating in the Billion Pill Pledge program have been announced! We are excited to partner with these hospitals to launch the program aimed at reducing opioid use - the Billion Pill Pledge is powered by Goldfinch Health. https://www.iowaattorneygeneral.gov/newsroom/first-four-rural-hospitals-launch-program-aimed-at-reducing-opioid-use

First four rural hospitals launch program aimed at reducing opioid use DES MOINES - Decatur County Hospital in Leon, Regional Medical Center in Manchester, Cherokee Regional Medical Center, and Floyd Valley Healthcare in Le Mars are the first four hospitals to announce participation in the Billion Pill Pledge program, supported by the Iowa Attorney General’s Office.