Missouri Opioid Prescribing Rate Went Up 10% In 2018, County Program Finds

Pharmacists and other providers in the participating counties gave out opioids at a rate almost 10% higher than in 2017, according to the latest data from the state’s drug monitoring program.

But the St. Louis County health officials behind the program say the increased rate could indicate the drug monitoring system is working the way it’s designed.

“Having a PDMP doesn’t necessarily mean that you’re going to reduce prescribing,” said Liz Chiarello, a sociology professor at St. Louis University and Radcliffe Fellow and Harvard University. “What a PDMP is designed to do ideally is to make sure prescribing is appropriate.”

Missouri health providers dispensed enough opioids last year for 70% of residents in participating counties to receive a prescription, according to the report.

https://news.stlpublicradio.org/post/missouri-opioid-prescribing-rate-went-10-2018-county-program-finds