As the only statewide electronic database that stores all controlled substance dispensing and personal furnishing information, the Ohio Automated Rx Reporting System (OARRS) helps prescribers and pharmacists avoid potentially life-threatening drug interactions as well as identify individuals fraudulently obtaining controlled substances from multiple healthcare providers.
The OARRS 2021 Annual Report provides data on opioid pain relievers and other controlled substances dispensed by Ohio pharmacies or personally furnished by prescribers in 2021. Highlights from the Report include:
- A record use of OARRS. Sixty-three thousand (63,000) pharmacists and prescribers have instant access to OARRS as part of their workflow thanks to the significant onboarding effort throughout the state.
- The number of opioid doses and prescriptions dispensed to Ohio patients continued to decrease. Total doses of opioids decreased from a high of 793 million in 2012 to 319 million in 2021, a 60% decrease. The total number of opioid prescriptions decreased by 7.1 million between 2012 and 2021, a 56% decrease.
- The number of benzodiazepine doses and prescriptions dispensed to Ohio patients continued to decrease. Total doses of benzodiazepines decreased from a high of 297 million in 2012 to 159 million in 2021, a 46% decrease. The total number of benzodiazepine prescriptions decreased by 1.93 million between 2012 and 2021, a 39% decrease.
To learn more about OARRS, please visit the State of Ohio Board of Pharmacy website.