Does prescription drug monitoring program usage affect opioid analgesic prescriptions by oral and maxillofacial surgeons after third molar surgery?

Abstract

To curb opioid overprescription and diversion, 49 states have implemented mandatory prescription drug monitoring programs (PDMPs). This study aims to examine the changes in analgesic prescription patterns associated with mandatory PDMP usage by oral and maxillofacial surgeons. This retrospective observational cohort study analyzed analgesic prescriptions after third molar surgeries from the University of Pennsylvania from July 2016 to December 2019. Because Pennsylvania mandated PDMP usage on January 1, 2017, we analyzed prescriptions 6 months prior to and for each 6-month interval after implementation. Prescriptions after 13,430 procedures on 6437 patients across 7 6-month periods were analyzed. Patients in all study periods had an average age of 40 years and there was a slight majority of females. After PDMP implementation, patients who received analgesics had an 80% lower odds of receiving an opioid option after adjusting for age, sex, and procedural severity. When an opioid was prescribed, the mean pills per script decreased from 20.18 to 10.96 1 year after PDMP implementation. Mandatory PDMP usage was associated with decreased odds of a patient receiving an opioid analgesic and with a decrease in mean opioid pills per script. PDMPs may be helpful in reducing opioid prescriptions by oral and maxillofacial surgeons after third molar surgery.