“Prescription drug monitoring programs (PDMPs) are now in place in all 50 states and the District of Columbia in response to rising levels of overdoses involving opioids and synthetic opioids. But a new study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine that sought to clarify the relationship between PDMPs and their effectiveness in attacking the nation’s drug problem found limited to no evidence that they actually work.
In addition, 3 of the 17 studies reviewed found an unintended consequence, in that heroin overdose deaths rose after the programs began.
This review of 17 studies about PDMPs sought to clarify what would make such a program effective, since they are all implemented differently, all with their own nuances, he said.
Of the programs that were most effective, they shared these characteristics, which all indicate signs of a robust and aggressive program, he said:
- Mandatory review of PDMP data by healthcare providers before writing prescriptions
- Frequent, or weekly, updates of data
- Provider authorization to access PDMP data
- Monitoring of noncontrolled substances, even over-the-counter pain relievers.
Read more at: http://www.ajmc.com/newsroom/study-finds-prescription-drug-monitoring-programs-ineffective
Source: AJMC.com – May 7, 2018
See related article on prescription drugs: Record 1 million pounds collected on prescription drug take-back day available at: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2018/05/07/record-1-million-pounds-collected-on-prescription-drug-take-back-day.html
See related article on prescription drugs: This Pill Dispenser, Regulated Via Timer, Could Stop Opioid Addiction Before It Starts available at: https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/nation-now/2018/05/08/opioid-pill-dispenser-electronic-timer/589906002/
