Creating opioid dependence in the emergency department

: Clinical question What is the risk of creating opioid dependence from an ED opioid prescription? Article chosen Barnett ML, Olenski AR, Jena AB. Opioid-prescribing patterns of emergency physicians and risk of long-term use. N Engl J Med 2017;376:663-73, doi:10.1056/NEJMsa1610524. OBJECTIVE: This study examined the risk of creating long-term opioid dependence from a prescription written in an opioid-naive patient in the ED.