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The addition of cannabis to prescription drug monitoring programs and medication fills in Medicaid

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  • Shelby R. Steuart

Abstract

To date, there is considerable evidence of the medical applications of cannabis, however concerns regarding the safety of cannabis are also mounting. To improve the safety of cannabis, nine states have added medical cannabis to their state PDMPs, helping providers to take patient cannabis use into consideration when making prescribing decisions. Across a variety of models using Medicaid State Drug Utilization claims data, I find statistically significant reductions in severely and moderately contraindicated medication fills across two outcomes. In my main specification, adding cannabis to a state PDMP is associated with a 14.4% (p

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  • Shelby R. Steuart, 2025. "The addition of cannabis to prescription drug monitoring programs and medication fills in Medicaid," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 34(2), pages 283-296, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:wly:hlthec:v:34:y:2025:i:2:p:283-296
    DOI: 10.1002/hec.4911
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Shyam Raman & Ashley C. Bradford, 2022. "Recreational cannabis legalizations associated with reductions in prescription drug utilization among Medicaid enrollees," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 31(7), pages 1513-1521, July.
    2. Shyam Raman & Johanna Catherine Maclean & W. David Bradford & Coleman Drake, 2023. "Recreational cannabis and opioid distribution," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 32(4), pages 747-754, April.
    3. McMichael, Benjamin J. & Van Horn, R. Lawrence & Viscusi, W. Kip, 2020. "The impact of cannabis access laws on opioid prescribing," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 69(C).
    4. Callaway, Brantly & Sant’Anna, Pedro H.C., 2021. "Difference-in-Differences with multiple time periods," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 225(2), pages 200-230.
    5. Jiebing Wen & Hefei Wen & J. S. Butler & Jeffery C. Talbert, 2021. "The impact of medical and recreational marijuana laws on opioid prescribing in employer‐sponsored health insurance," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 30(5), pages 989-1000, May.
    6. Shelby R. Steuart & W. David Bradford, 2024. "The Association Between Medical Cannabis Laws and Flows of Opioids by Dosage Strength to US Pharmacies – Evidence From Detailed ARCOS Data, 2006–2014," Contributions to Economic Analysis, in: Recent Developments in Health Econometrics, volume 127, pages 167-200, Emerald Group Publishing Limited.
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