Projects per year
Abstract
Aims: This study aimed to evaluate whether voluntary and mandatory prescription drug monitoring program (PDMP) use in Victoria, Australia, had an impact on prescribing behaviour, focusing on individual patients' prescribed opioid doses and transition to prescribing of nonmonitored medications. Methods: This was a retrospective cross-sectional study using routinely collected primary healthcare data. A 90-day moving average prescribed opioid dose in oral morphine equivalents was used to estimate opioid dosage. A Markov transition matrix was used to describe how patients prescribed medications transitioned between opioid dose groups and other nonopioid treatment options during 3 transition periods: transition between 2 control periods prior to PDMP implementation (T1 to T2); during the voluntary PDMP implementation (T2 to T3); and during mandatory PDMP implementation (T3 to T4). Results: Among patients prescribed opioids in our study, we noted an increased probability of transitioning to not being prescribed opioids during the mandatory PDMP period (T3 to T4). This increase was attributed mainly to the ceasing of low-dose opioid prescribing. Membership in an opioid dose group remained relatively stable for most patients who were prescribed high opioid doses. For those who were only prescribed nonmonitored medications initially, the probability of being prescribed opioids increased during the mandatory PDMP when compared to other transition periods. Conclusion: The introduction of PDMP mandates appeared to have an impact on the prescribing for patients who were prescribed low-dose opioids, while its impact on individuals prescribed higher opioid doses was comparatively limited.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 1162-1172 |
Number of pages | 11 |
Journal | British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology |
Volume | 90 |
Issue number | 4 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - Apr 2024 |
Keywords
- Markov transition matrix
- opioid prescribing
- prescription drug monitoring programs
- primary health care
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Optimising the investment in real-time prescription drug monitoring
National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) (Australia)
1/01/23 → 31/12/27
Project: Research
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Better evidence more rapidly implemented for people with musculoskeletal conditions
1/01/21 → 31/12/25
Project: Research
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Enabling evidence-informed policy to address Australia’s opioid crisis
Nielsen, S., Bell, S., Russell, G., Lalic, S., Sanfilippo, P. & Richards, G.
National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) (Australia)
1/01/21 → 31/12/23
Project: Research