Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs Are Associated With Sustained Reductions In Opioid Prescribing By Physicians.
State prescription drug monitoring programs are promising tools to rein in the epidemic of prescription opioid overdose. We used data from a national survey to assess the effects of these programs on the prescribing of opioid analgesics and other pain medications in ambulatory care settings at the point of care in twenty-four states from 2001 to 2010. We found that the implementation of a prescription drug monitoring program was associated with more than a 30 percent reduction in the rate of prescribing of Schedule II opioids. This reduction was seen immediately following the launch of the program and was maintained in the second and third years afterward. Effects on overall opioid prescribing and prescribing of non-opioid analgesics were limited. Increased use of these programs and the adoption of new policies and practices governing their use may have contributed to sustained effectiveness. Future studies are needed to evaluate the policies' comparative effectiveness.
Yuhua Bao (yub2003@med.cornell.edu) is an associate professor of healthcare policy and research at Weill Cornell Medical College, in New York City.
Yuhua
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Bao
Yijun Pan is a PhD candidate in economics at Cornell University, in Ithaca, New York.
Yijun
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Pan
Aryn Taylor is a PhD candidate in policy analysis and management at Cornell University.
Aryn
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Taylor
Sharmini Radakrishnan is a senior analyst at Abt Associates in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Sharmini
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Radakrishnan
Feijun Luo is a senior service fellow at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in Atlanta, Georgia.
Feijun
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Luo
Harold Alan Pincus is vice chair of the Department of Psychiatry, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, and director of quality and outcomes research at New York Presbyterian Hospital, both in New York City.
Harold Alan
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Pincus
Bruce R. Schackman is a professor of healthcare policy and research at Weill Cornell Medical College.
Bruce R
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Schackman
D000328:Adult; D000701:Analgesics, Opioid / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D061891:Controlled Substances; D062787:Drug Overdose / Q000453:epidemiology; D011307:Drug Prescriptions / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians' / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000073958:Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs / Q000458:organization & administration*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
D000701:Analgesics, Opioid; D061891:Controlled Substances
Behavioral Health; PDMP; Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs