Impacting the Disposal of Unused Opioid Analgesics Through Education in the Orthopaedic Population: A Randomized Control Trial

Opioids are used to treat acute pain after surgery, but can lead to misuse and abuse. Very few patients properly dispose of unused opioids and the majority of opioids are stored in the home in unlocked containers as opposed to being properly disposed of. Improper disposal of opioid medications is a concern due to the potential for nonmedical use and has the potential to cause injury or death for patients and their family members that can access the medications. The purpose of this study is to compare the rates of proper opioid disposal in patients receiving an educational brochure compared to an automated text message delivered directly to patients' cell phones alongside the brochure, compared to no education on the subject. There is evidence that an educational brochure significantly increases proper disposal rates, albeit only to about 25%. The goal of this study is to evaluate the impact of an educational pamphlet on proper opioid disposal in the total joint arthoplasty population, and to see if the addition of a text messaging system can increase further increase proper disposal rates.