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How well do doctors know their patients? Evidence from a mandatory access prescription drug monitoring program

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  • Thomas C. Buchmueller
  • Colleen M. Carey
  • Giacomo Meille

Abstract

Many opioid control policies target the prescribing behavior of health care providers. In this paper, we study the first comprehensive state‐level policy requiring providers to access patients' opioid history before making prescribing decisions. We compare prescribers in Kentucky, which implemented this policy in 2012, to those in a control state, Indiana. Our main difference‐in‐differences analysis uses the universe of prescriptions filled in the two states to assess how the information provided affected prescribing behavior. We find that a significant share of low‐volume providers stopped prescribing opioids altogether after the policy was implemented, though this change accounted for a small share of the reduction in total volume. The most important margin of response was to prescribe opioids to fewer patients. Although providers disproportionately discontinued treating patients whose opioid histories showed the use of multiple providers, there were also economically meaningful reductions for patients without multiple providers and single‐use acute patients.

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  • Thomas C. Buchmueller & Colleen M. Carey & Giacomo Meille, 2020. "How well do doctors know their patients? Evidence from a mandatory access prescription drug monitoring program," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 29(9), pages 957-974, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:wly:hlthec:v:29:y:2020:i:9:p:957-974
    DOI: 10.1002/hec.4020
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Simone Balestra & Helge Liebert & Nicole Maestas & Tisamarie B. Sherry, 2021. "Behavioral Responses to Supply-Side Drug Policy During the Opioid Epidemic," NBER Working Papers 29596, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    2. Avdic, Daniel & Blankart, Katharina, 2021. "A Hard Look at “Soft” Cost‐control Measures in Healthcare Organizations: Evidence from Preferred Drug Policies in Germany," CINCH Working Paper Series (since 2020) 74978, Duisburg-Essen University Library, DuEPublico.
    3. Johanna Catherine Maclean & Justine Mallatt & Christopher J. Ruhm & Kosali Simon, 2022. "The Opioid Crisis, Health, Healthcare, and Crime: A Review of Quasi-Experimental Economic Studies," The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, , vol. 703(1), pages 15-49, September.

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