America’s opioid drug epidemic has struck hard in Michigan. But now, a team from the University of Michigan is striking back at a key factor: opioid prescriptions for patients before and after surgery.
With a new $1.4 million per year, five-year grant from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, and equal funding from U-M, the team launched an initiative to help medical teams across the state care for surgical patients’ pain — without setting those patients up for new chronic opioid use, misuse and addiction.
Michigan-OPEN will tap into existing networks of hundreds of doctors, nurses and hospitals across Michigan that work together to improve surgical care. It’s based in the U-M Medical School and Institute for Healthcare Policy and Innovation.
