Papers of the Week

Prescription opioid use in Australia has increased over the last 3 decades. The majority of opioids are prescribed and dispensed in primary care, however, there are few studies that are specific to opioid prescribing in this setting. Evidence about the impact of key government policy strategies to optimize opioid prescribing in primary care is limited. The aim of this study is to examine the impact of recent policy changes and clinical guidelines on opioid prescribing in primary care.