From the Guidelines
NARxCARE is a risk assessment tool used by healthcare providers to evaluate a patient's potential risk for prescription drug misuse, particularly opioids, and it is an essential component of a comprehensive patient assessment, helping clinicians make informed decisions about prescribing controlled substances while balancing pain management needs with safety concerns. The use of NARxCARE is supported by recent guidelines, such as the CDC's clinical practice guideline for prescribing opioids for pain, which emphasizes the importance of evaluating the benefits and risks of opioid therapy and using tools like NARxCARE to assess a patient's risk for opioid use disorder 1. Additionally, the American College of Physicians (ACP) recommends the use of PDMPs, like NARxCARE, to help reduce the risk of prescription drug misuse and overdose 1. Some key features of NARxCARE include:
- Analyzing data from Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs (PDMPs) to generate a risk score
- Providing three main scores: a Narcotics Score, a Sedatives Score, and a Stimulants Score
- Creating visual representations of a patient's prescription history to identify patterns of use and potential risks
- Supporting clinical decision-making during patient care, without replacing professional judgment Healthcare providers can use NARxCARE to:
- Identify patients at higher risk for substance abuse or overdose
- Make informed decisions about prescribing controlled substances
- Balance pain management needs with safety concerns
- Evaluate the benefits and risks of opioid therapy
- Use tools like NARxCARE to assess a patient's risk for opioid use disorder, as recommended by the CDC's clinical practice guideline for prescribing opioids for pain 1.
From the FDA Drug Label
The FDA drug label does not answer the question.
From the Research
Definition and Purpose of NarxCare
- NarxCare is a prescription drug monitoring program-based analytics platform marketed as a clinical decision support tool 2.
- It is designed to analyze patients' state Prescription Drug Monitoring Program records to assign numerical scores that approximate a patient's overall opioid usage 3.
Association with Opioid Use and Outcomes
- Higher admission NarxCare narcotic scores have been associated with increased odds of readmission and prolonged length of hospital stay after primary elective total knee arthroplasty 3.
- The platform has been positioned to impact over 1 billion patient encounters annually, raising concerns about its potential influence on patient care without rigorous external validation or public data sharing 2.
Regulatory Oversight and Evidence
- There is a lack of federal regulatory oversight and sufficient evidence to support NarxCare's wide implementation 2.
- The proprietary nature of the platform's formulas has facilitated its unchecked influence on patient care, highlighting the need for greater transparency and validation 2.
Context and Relevance to Opioid Crisis
- The opioid crisis has been triggered by overprescription of opioid analgesics, and improving opioid prescription practices is crucial for addressing the crisis 4, 5.
- Strategies to expand access to medication for opioid use disorder and improve treatment retention are fundamental to preventing fatalities and achieving recovery 4.