Illustration of a statistical process control approach to regional prescription opioid abuse surveillance
James C Benneyan1, Albert Villapiano, Nathaniel Katz
1Center for Health Organization Transformation, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, USA. benneyan@coe.neu.edu
Objective:
To investigate and illustrate the use of statistical process control (SPC) for prospective monitoring and detection of regional changes in prescription opioid abuse rates.
Methods:
A demonstration project was conducted by applying several types of SPC charts to Louisiana TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families) applicant self-reported opioid illicit use data collected during 21 months. These charts were constructed and examined for signals of abuse rate changes both at the aggregate statewide level and for each state region (parish) separately.
Results:
SPC identified increases in opioid illicit use in 2 parishes and subsequent decreases in both regions. These fluctuations were not as apparent when the data were examined using traditional bar graphs and summary tables. The remaining parishes exhibited stable abuse rates with no statistically significant changes over time.
Conclusions:
These results illustrate proof of concept for monitoring prescription drug abuse regionally via statistical control charts and the potential of this approach for real-time prospective surveillance for abuse rate changes.
More Related Videos
10:17High-throughput and Comprehensive Drug Surveillance Using Multisegment Injection-Capillary Electrophoresis-Mass Spectrometry
Published on: April 23, 2019
16:02Demonstration of the Sequence Alignment to Predict Across Species Susceptibility Tool for Rapid Assessment of Protein Conservation
Published on: February 10, 2023
Related Concept Videos
Introduction to Statistical Process Control
Pharmacovigilance
This process, termed pharmacovigilance, aims to detect, evaluate, and minimize harmful effects related to medication use. The data collection for pharmacovigilance depends on spontaneous reporting systems, where healthcare professionals or patients voluntarily report suspected ADRs.
In some cases, there...
Drug Control Governance: Regulatory Bodies and Their Impact
Prescription, Nonprescription and Orphan Drugs
The misuse and addiction to prescription drugs is a growing problem that can affect people of all age groups, specifically teenagers. This can happen when prescription medications are used in ways not intended by the prescriber, such as taking someone else's prescription or using medication for...
Pharmaceutical Poisoning: Potential Scenarios
Opioid Analgesics: Synthetic and Semisynthetic Opioids
