Impact of Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs on Opioid Exposure in Children

A new study measures the impact of state-run prescription drug monitoring programs (PDMPs), legislation on pain treatment centers, and opioid prescribing guidelines on opioid exposure in children. The results of the study will be presented at the Pediatric Academic Societies (PAS) 2019 meeting, which will take place from April 24 to May 1 in Baltimore.

"The United States is still struggling with an opioid epidemic resulting from excessive prescribing of opioids over the past two decades." National guidelines and surveillance programs focused primarily on adult populations – little information available on the effects of opioid policies on opioid exposure and poisoning in children, "said Michael Toce, MD, one of the authors of l & # 39; study. "We studied the effects of state-level PDMPs, pain treatment clinic legislation, and mandatory opioid prescription limits for pediatric opioid exposures reported to US poison control centers. Our results indicate that these policies, although designed primarily for adults, are badociated with significant reductions in opioid exposures among children. "

The study badyzed opioid exposures reported in the National Poison Data System (NPDS) among children under the age of 20 between 2005 and 2017. The NPDS database is managed by the American Association of Poison Control and collects data on exposures reported to 55 Poison Controllers. In several US centers, the authors then conducted an badysis of interrupted state-level time series to examine the impact of PDMPs, pain clinic legislation, and opioid prescribing guidelines on the monthly exposure rate. to opioids in children. The main result was the change in the pediatric opioid exposure rate, before and after the implementation of each state-level opioid reduction policy. The models included covariates that took into account the socio-economic and demographic factors badociated with opioid exposure.

During the study period, 332,745 opioid exposures in children were reported to the NPDS. The majority of exposures in children 4 years old or younger were unintentional (99.2%), while the majority of 15-19 year olds were intentional (88.8%). The total number of exhibitions peaked in 2009. The exposure rate per 100,000 children was highest among children aged 4 years and under, followed by children aged 15 to 19 years. The implementation of a PDMP was badociated with an overall decrease of 0.27 exposure in less opioids per 100,000 children per month. The implementation of an opioid prescription guideline was badociated with an immediate 20% reduction in the opioid exposure rate, but the overall effect was not statistically significant. significant. Conversely, implementation of pain clinic legislation was badociated with an immediate 22% reduction in exposures and, overall, a 0.84 decrease in opioid 100,000 people a month.

The results indicate that national opioid reduction policies are badociated with a significant decrease in opioid exposures among children.

Dr Toce added: "Based on this work, further badysis will be conducted to identify the most protective policy characteristics for children so that future initiatives can further promote the public health benefits of HIV / AIDS policies. 39, opioids for pediatric populations. "

Dr. Toce will present the results of "The Impact of Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs on Pediatric Opioid Exposures" on Monday, April 29 at 1 pm EDT. Journalists interested in an interview with Dr. Toce should contact [email protected] Please note that only abstracts are presented at the meeting. In some cases, researchers may have additional data to share with the media.

The PAS 2019 meeting brings together thousands of pediatricians and other health care providers with the goal of improving the health and well-being of children around the world.