title: Change in prescription habits after federal rescheduling of hydrocodone combination products.
abstract: Nationally, health care providers wrote 259 million prescriptions for narcotic analgesics in 2012, or roughly one bottle of narcotics per US adult (1). In an effort to combat this ever-growing problem, the Drug Enforcement Administration changed the schedule of hydrocodone combination products from schedule III to schedule II on October 6, 2014. Fourteen Baylor Scott & White pharmacies encompassing a 200-mile radius in Central Texas were queried for prescription information on hydrocodone/acetaminophen, morphine, codeine/acetaminophen, and tramadol before and after the rescheduling to evaluate trends in prescription drug usage. While the rescheduling of hydrocodone combination products resulted in a reduced number of prescriptions and the total quantity dispensed of both the hydrocodone/acetaminophen 5/325 mg (Norco 5/325) and 10/325 mg (Norco 10/325) formulations, this was offset by a dramatic increase in alternative narcotic analgesics such as tramadol, codeine/acetaminophen 30/300 mg (Tylenol #3), and codeine/acetaminophen 60/300 mg (Tylenol #4), which do not have schedule II requirements. Additionally, there was no significant reduction in total pain medication prescribed after converting all agents to morphine equivalents.
authors.affiliation: Departments of Medicine (Seago, Newman), Pulmonary and Critical Care (Hayek), and Biostatistics (Pruszynski), Scott & White Memorial Hospital, Baylor Scott & White Health, Temple, Texas; and Texas A&M Health Sciences Center College of Medicine, Temple, Texas (Newman).
authors.forename: Susan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Seago
authors.affiliation: Departments of Medicine (Seago, Newman), Pulmonary and Critical Care (Hayek), and Biostatistics (Pruszynski), Scott & White Memorial Hospital, Baylor Scott & White Health, Temple, Texas; and Texas A&M Health Sciences Center College of Medicine, Temple, Texas (Newman).
authors.forename: Adam
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hayek
authors.affiliation: Departments of Medicine (Seago, Newman), Pulmonary and Critical Care (Hayek), and Biostatistics (Pruszynski), Scott & White Memorial Hospital, Baylor Scott & White Health, Temple, Texas; and Texas A&M Health Sciences Center College of Medicine, Temple, Texas (Newman).
authors.forename: Jessica
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pruszynski
authors.affiliation: Departments of Medicine (Seago, Newman), Pulmonary and Critical Care (Hayek), and Biostatistics (Pruszynski), Scott & White Memorial Hospital, Baylor Scott & White Health, Temple, Texas; and Texas A&M Health Sciences Center College of Medicine, Temple, Texas (Newman).
authors.forename: Megan Greene
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Newman