Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2014 Mar-Apr;129(2):139-47.
doi: 10.1177/003335491412900207.

Prescription drug monitoring and dispensing of prescription opioids

Joanne E Brady  1 , Hannah Wunsch  2 , Charles DiMaggio  1 , Barbara H Lang  3 , James Giglio  4 , Guohua Li  1
Affiliations

Prescription drug monitoring and dispensing of prescription opioids

Joanne E Brady et al. Public Health Rep. 2014 Mar-Apr.

Abstract

Objective: In the United States, per-capita opioid dispensing has increased concurrently with analgesic-related mortality and morbidity since the 1990s. To deter diversion and abuse of controlled substances, most states have implemented electronic prescription drug monitoring programs (PDMPs). We evaluated the impact of state PDMPs on opioid dispensing.

Methods: We acquired data on opioids dispensed in a given quarter of the year for each state and the District of Columbia from 1999 to 2008 from the Automation of Reports and Consolidated Orders System and converted them to morphine milligram equivalents (MMEs). We used multivariable linear regression modeling with generalized estimating equations to assess the effect of state PDMPs on per-capita dispensing of MMEs.

Results: The annual MMEs dispensed per capita increased progressively until 2007 before stabilizing. Adjusting for temporal trends and demographic characteristics, implementation of state PDMPs was associated with a 3% decrease in MMEs dispensed per capita (p=0.68). The impact of PDMPs on MMEs dispensed per capita varied markedly by state, from a 66% decrease in Colorado to a 61% increase in Connecticut.

Conclusions: Implementation of state PDMPs up to 2008 did not show a significant impact on per-capita opioids dispensed. To control the diversion and abuse of prescription drugs, state PDMPs may need to improve their usability, implement requirements for committee oversight of the PDMP, and increase data sharing with neighboring states.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Figure
Figure
Morphine milligram equivalents of opioids dispensed per capita, by year and PDMP status: U.S., 1999–2008
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. National Institute on Drug Abuse (US) Bethesda (MD): NIDA; 2011. [cited 2012 Sep 24]. Topics in brief: prescription drug abuse. Also available from: URL: http://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/topics-in-brief/prescription-drug-....
    1. Manchikanti L, Fellows B, Ailinani H, Pampati V. Therapeutic use, abuse, and nonmedical use of opioids: a ten-year perspective. Pain Physician. 2010;13:401–35. - PubMed
    1. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (US) Rockville (MD): SAMHSA; 2011. [cited 2013 Nov 1]. Results from the 2010 National Survey on Drug Use and Health: summary of national findings. NSDUH Series H-41, HHS Publication No. (SMA) 11-4658. Also available from: URL: http://www.samhsa.gov/data/nsduh/2k10nsduh/2k10results.htm#8.3.
    1. Emergency department visits involving nonmedical use of selected prescription drugs-United States, 2004–2008. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2010;59(23):705–9. - PubMed
    1. Vital signs: overdoses of prescription opioid pain relievers-United States, 1999–2008. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2011;60(43):1487–92. - PubMed

Publication types

MeSH terms