Provider Prescription Drug Monitoring Program Utilization and Self-Auditing-A Pilot Study

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Pharmacology
• Healthcare Management

Background:

• Alabama exhibits the highest prescription rates nationally.
• Opioid overdose deaths surpass those from heroin and cocaine combined.
• Monitoring prescription access is crucial for patient safety.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate an educational intervention's impact on opioid prescribing rates.
• To assess changes in healthcare providers' self-auditing frequency and opioid supply duration.
• To determine if intervention reduces opioid prescription rates and supply days.

Main Methods:

• A pretest-posttest design was employed.
• 21 DEA-licensed providers participated after a PDMP presentation.
• Participants conducted self-audits using the Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (PDMP).

Main Results:

• 81% of participants had no prior self-audit experience.
• 85.7% planned to increase PDMP self-auditing post-intervention.
• Opioid prescription rates and days of supply remained high, correlating with patient census.

Conclusions:

• Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs (PDMPs) are effective surveillance tools.
• Provider utilization is key to PDMP effectiveness.
• PDMPs aid in identifying potential misuse and inform public health initiatives.