Physician use of state-run prescription drug monitoring programs is dramatically increasing while doctors have decreased opioid prescribing nationwide for the fifth consecutive year.
That’s among the findings of a new report released on Thursday by the American Medical Association, which the organization says shows progress toward reversing the U.S. opioid epidemic.
According to the AMA, the number of opioid prescriptions decreased by more than 55 million—a 22.2 percent decrease nationally—between 2013 and 2017, with a 9 percent decrease—more than 19 million fewer prescriptions—between 2016 and 2017. In fact, all 50 states have seen a decrease in opioid prescriptions over the last five years, notes the report.
