While opioids can alleviate significant pain in hospitalized patients, there is a risk of overdose, respiratory depression, or addiction. In parallel with antimicrobial stewardship programs, opioid safety stewardship involves the careful consideration of the necessity of the drug, identification of patients at risk for adverse events, and the judicious distribution of the drug.

Our APSS outline actionable steps healthcare organizations should take to successfully implement and sustain behavior change for high reliability, shared understanding, thorough communication, and meaningful person-centered care across the organization.

Actionable steps include:

• Executive Summary Checklist
• Leadership checklist guide to determine whether current evidence-based guidelines are being followed in your organization
• Performance improvement plan to follow if improvements are necessary
• Clinical workflow for preoccupation with workflow for areas of improvement
• How to educate patients and family members about the significance of their role throughout the continuum
• Guidance on how to measure outcomes