An Evaluation of Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs

This research examines the effects of Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs (PDMPs) on the supply and abuse of prescription drugs. Information from the Automation of Reports and Consolidated Orders System (ARCOS) is used to develop measures of supply, and information from the Treatment Episode Data Set (TEDS) is used to develop measures of abuse. Practical considerations lead us to focus on Schedule II pain relievers and stimulants, and composite measures for these two classes of drugs are developed. We estimate both aggregate and individual response models. The aggregate model suggests that PDMPs reduce the per capita supply of prescription pain relievers and stimulants and in so doing reduce the probability of abuse for these drugs. The evidence also suggests that states which are proactive in their approach to regulation are more effective in reducing the per capita supply of prescription pain relievers and stimulants than states which are reactive in their approach to regulation. The individual response model confirms these findings. It is important to note that the probability of pain reliever abuse is actually higher in states that have PDMPs than in states that do not. But our analysis demonstrates that in the absence of such programs the probability of abuse would be higher still.