Table. Participant Characteristics and Outcomes by Group.
| Postoperative Opioid Disposal | No. (%) | P Value | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Usual Care | Educational Pamphlet | Activated Charcoal Bag | ||
| No. | 63 | 75 | 70 | |
| Self-reported opioid disposal 4-6 wk after surgical procedure | 18 (28.6) | 25 (33.3) | 40 (57.1) | .001 |
| Preoperative characteristics | ||||
| Age, mean (SD), y | 46.92 (14.91) | 46.00 (15.22) | 45.10 (15.13) | .79 |
| Female sex | 40 (63.5) | 54 (72.0) | 45 (64.3) | .49 |
| White race/ethnicity | 52 (82.5) | 70 (93.3) | 61 (87.1) | .15 |
| Surgical service | ||||
| Gynecology | 4 (6.4) | 8 (10.7) | 9 (12.9) | .44 |
| Plastic | 13 (20.6) | 14 (18.7) | 10 (14.3) | |
| Orthopedic | 22 (34.9) | 28 (37.3) | 24 (34.2) | |
| Oncology | 7 (11.1) | 12 (16.0) | 11 (15.7) | |
| Otolaryngology | 8 (12.7) | 8 (10.7) | 3 (4.3) | |
| Other | 9 (14.3) | 5 (6.7) | 13 (18.6) | |
| Insurance type | ||||
| Private only | 45 (71.4) | 56 (74.7) | 48 (68.6) | .86 |
| Medicaid or Medicare only | 9 (14.3) | 7 (9.3) | 10 (14.3) | |
| Other | 9 (14.3) | 12 (16.0) | 12 (17.1) | |
| Disposal method | ||||
| No. | 18 | 25 | 40 | <.001 |
| In home | ||||
| Garbage | 2 (11.1) | 1 (4.0) | 0 | |
| Garbage after mixing with unpalatable substance | 2 (11.1) | 5 (20.0) | 2 (5.0) | |
| Activated charcoal bag | 0 | 0 | 35 (87.5) | |
| Flushed down the toilet | 3 (16.7) | 5 (20.0) | 2 (5.0) | |
| Out of home | ||||
| Law enforcement | 5 (27.8) | 5 (20.0) | 0 | |
| Authorized pharmacy or hospital | 4 (22.2) | 6 (24.0) | 1 (2.5) | |
| Take-back drive | 0 | 1 (4.0) | 0 | |
| Othera | 2 (11.1) | 2 (8.0) | 0 | |
a
Including “I don't know” (n = 3) and “Pharmacy gave me bag to mix with and throw away” (n = 1).