States are now fighting the growing opioid problem with prescription databases.
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States have been using prescription data to determine if physicians are prescribing opioids in excessive amounts. This is one of the latest attempts to slow the growing opioid epidemic.
Using these databases has resulted in a 30% drop in prescription rates for opioids from 2001 to 2010.
This decrease is due to other programs and other outside efforts as well.
Not everyone supports using databases to combat opioid abuse.
Some practitioners have spoken out against using databases, voicing concerns of patient privacy and due-process protection for physicians.
There are also concerns that doctors might push pain patients out of their practice for fear of reprimands.
Many doctors like the approach of utilizing databases to try to prevent doctor shopping by patients with opioid addictions.
Some physicians check the monitoring programs multiple times per shift to aid in treating patients effectively.
Database effectiveness is also a continuing concern of many states.
Since 2015, many states have passed laws to improve effectiveness.
Let us know what you think. Are you in support of states looking at databases to combat opioid abuse?
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