WellStar Health System and Pacira Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Announce Partnership to Minimize Opioid Use and Standardize Outcomes Across Surgical Procedures
January 08, 2018 at 12:30 pm
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WellStar Health System and Pacira Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced a joint commitment to address opioid use and dependence following surgery. Through a comprehensive opioid minimization strategy, the organizations will work together to educate hospital clinicians and administrators about the burden of postsurgical opioids; develop enhanced recovery protocols to reduce use in key surgical procedures; and standardize the rollout of these protocols across WellStar’s 11 hospitals. In partnership, WellStar and Pacira will develop procedure-specific pain management protocols centered on a foundation of non-opioid medications that can effectively control pain without the side effects and long-term risks of misuse, abuse or addiction associated with opioids. As such, the organizations intend to demonstrate the significant positive impact on patient recovery and hospital economics achievable when healthcare and industry work together to advance a mutual cause to improve patient care. Under the terms of the partnership, the organizations will develop a suite of clinician-facing opioid education materials, as well as quality improvement data that tracks the progress of protocol implementation and the resulting reduction in overall opioid consumption. This data will guide next steps in optimizing existing or developing new care pathways. A playbook of best teachings and case studies will be developed to inform best practices in transferring protocols from one hospital to an entire hospital system, which can be provided as a resource for other similar system-wide endeavors.
Pacira BioSciences, Inc. is a holding company for Pacira Pharmaceuticals, Inc. The Company's non-opioid treatments include EXPAREL (bupivacaine liposome injectable suspension), which is a long-acting, local analgesic for postsurgical pain management; ZILRETTA (triamcinolone acetonide extended-release injectable suspension), which is an extended-release, intra-articular (IA), corticosteroid injection indicated for OA knee pain, and Iovera, which is a novel handheld device for delivering immediate, long-acting, drug-free pain control using precise, controlled doses of cold temperature to a targeted nerve. EXPAREL is used across multiple orthopedic procedures, including joint reconstruction, shoulder, spine, extremity procedures, and hip fractures. It is developing interventions to address debilitating conditions involving the sympathetic nervous system, such as cardiac electrical storm, chronic pain. Its clinical development programs include PCRX-201, and pMVL-Based Clinical Program.
WellStar Health System and Pacira Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Announce Partnership to Minimize Opioid Use and Standardize Outcomes Across Surgical Procedures