Source: Governor’s Office of Health Transformation
Opioid prescribing in Ohio declined for a fourth consecutive year in 2016, according to a newly released report from the State of Ohio Board of Pharmacy’s Ohio Automated Rx Reporting System (OARRS).
Between 2012 and 2016, the total number of opioids dispensed to Ohio patients decreased by 162 million doses or 20.4%, from a peak of 793 million doses to 631 million doses. The number of opioid prescriptions provided to Ohio patients decreased by 20% during the same period.
The report also finds a 78.2% decrease in the number of people engaged in the practice of “doctor shopping” since 2012. Additionally, the use of OARRS continued to increase, reaching an all-time high of 24.1 million requests in 2016.