The aim of this study is to estimate the impact of providing personalized prescribing data and educational materials on opioid prescribing to dentists in British Columbia, Canada.
The main research questions are:
1. What is the impact of an intervention on the use of opioids for dental pain? The intervention includes a personalized prescribing report (a "Portrait"), brief educational summary, and patient education materials; and 2. Does the impact of the intervention increase when dentists are also invited to attend facilitated audit-and-feedback group sessions and to develop a practice improvement plan? Using administrative health data, the prescribing of those in different combinations of materials in the Early Group will be compared to those in the Delayed Group to estimate the impact of the materials on prescribing by the dentists.
Registered with the British Columbia Medical Services Plan (MSP) as being in active practice;
Have a valid mailing address in British Columbia; and
Issued ≥10 prescriptions dispensed at community pharmacies between January 5, 2025 and January 5, 2026, as identified in PharmaNet claims data.
Received an opioid prescription from an eligible dentist during the study period (January 6, 2026 to January 6, 2027);
Had a medication dispensed under Plan P in the 12 months prior to the opioid prescription; or
Filled a prescription for opioid agonist therapy (OAT) within 180 days prior to the opioid prescription.
University of British Columbia
Lead sponsor
Ministry of Health, British Columbia
Collaborator