UK College of Public Health researcher Hefei Wen has authored a study showing state drug-monitoring programs are effective in reducing the number of opioids prescribed to Medicaid recipients.
The research, published in the April edition of Health Affairs, provides evidence that state mandates for provider participation in prescription drug-monitoring programs (PDMP) have influenced safer prescribing practices in providers who treat Medicaid patients. The analysis suggests state PDMP mandates are associated with a reduction in opioid prescriptions received by Medicaid patients and Medicaid spending on opioid prescriptions by as much as 10 percent.