Opioid Stewardship

Active interventions including formulary restrictions, prescriber education, and insurance incentives favouring safer opioids have demonstrated efficacy in reducing meperidine use in prior research. Safer postoperative and labour analgesics exist as alternatives to meperidine. The stagnation in meperidine decline after 2020 suggests that passive awareness-driven reduction may be approaching its limit. Opioid stewardship committees are specifically identified as a vehicle for transitioning to lower-risk analgesic alternatives in high-distribution regions. Ongoing international surveillance of meperidine use is warranted, as US geographic patterns likely reflect broader global trends in opioid stewardship maturity.