Table 1 Definitions

Rule

The rule is executed every time a prescription for an opioid or benzodiazepine is initiated. The rule is programmed to search the medical record for the triggers.

Trigger

Triggers are the criteria the rule searches for in the medical record. These triggers are indicators of risk for opioid or benzodiazepine misuse, abuse, and/or diversion.

Alert

The alert is the pop-up box that appears when the rule identifies the patient to meet one or more of the trigger criteria. The alert interrupts workflow and requires the prescriber to either override the alert and continue with the prescription or cancel the prescription before proceeding.

Patient Encounters

A patient encounter is any medical visit or interaction a patient has with a system provider. This includes inpatient stays, outpatient visits, lab visits, and ED/Urgent Care visits.

Prescribing Encounters

Any patient encounter in which a prescriber initiates a prescription for one or more opioids or benzodiazepines is defined as a prescribing encounter.