Flipping the Script: the Effect of Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs on Opioid Prescribing Behavior

Provider-patient informational gaps make appropriate opioid prescribing difficult. Many states have implemented Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs (PDMPs) to curb the epidemic at a common point of initiation of use, the prescription. We assess the effect of a mandatory query and/or a daily update component of a state’s PDMP on specialty-specific opioid prescribing behavior using the Medicare Part D Public Use Files. We find that PDMP characteristics differentially affect prescribing across provider specialty, particularly a program’s update frequency. Our results suggest that policymakers should consider informational asymmetries across the provider spectrum when implementing programs to address opioid prescribing.