Must-access prescription drug monitoring programs and retail opioid sales

Abstract

This paper examines the effect of prescription drug monitoring programs (PDMPs) on the retail sales of eight commonly prescribed opioids in the United States. Specifically, we exploit variation in state-level policies to identify states with “must-access” versus voluntary PDMPs. Our results suggest that must-access PDMP implementation does not uniformly reduce prescription retail opioid sales. We also find evidence that must-access PDMP implementation does not affect the retail sales of two treatment drugs, methadone and buprenorphine. These results suggest that policymakers should consider PDMP implementation as part of a broader response to the opioid crisis rather than a singular policy intervention.