How Do Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs Reduce Opioid Prescribing? The Role of Hassle Costs Versus Information

66 Pages Posted: 28 Jul 2020 Last revised: 15 May 2023

See all articles by Abby Alpert

Abby Alpert

University of Pennsylvania - The Wharton School

Sarah Dykstra

Center for Global Development

Mireille Jacobson

University of Southern California

Date Written: July 2020

Abstract

Past work demonstrates that mandated prescription drug monitoring programs (PDMPs) decrease opioid prescribing, but provides limited evidence on mechanisms. We analyze Kentucky’s landmark PDMP mandate to disentangle the role of information versus hassle costs. PDMP mandates are meant to affect prescribing through information provision but may also unintentionally affect prescribing through the hassle cost of required record checks. On net, we find that although information clearly affected prescribing, hassle costs explain the majority of the decline in prescribing from this program. Hassle costs, however, did not deter physicians from prescribing opioids to the patients who would benefit the most

Suggested Citation

Alpert, Abby and Dykstra, Sarah and Jacobson, Mireille, How Do Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs Reduce Opioid Prescribing? The Role of Hassle Costs Versus Information (July 2020). NBER Working Paper No. w27584, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3661076

Abby Alpert (Contact Author)

University of Pennsylvania - The Wharton School ( email )

3641 Locust Walk
Philadelphia, PA 19104-6365
United States

Sarah Dykstra

Center for Global Development ( email )

2055 L St. NW
5th floor
Washington, DC 20036
United States

Mireille Jacobson

University of Southern California

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