Monitored drugs decline 20 percent in Wisconsin during last three years

The total amount of drugs monitored by the state declined 20 percent between 2015 and 2018, with the most significant drops coinciding with state efforts to fight the opioid epidemic, according to a recent report.

The number of monitored prescription drugs dispensed fell from 10.4 million in 2015 to 8.4 million last year, the Department of Safety and Professional Services noted.

For opioids, annual dispensing fell 29 percent over the period, from 5 million to 3.6 million. The number of benzodiazepines dispensed fell during the period, while the number of stimulants rose.

The report also found that Suboxone, a drug used in medication-assisted treatment for opioid addiction, became the 15th most dispensed drug in the state during the last half of 2018. It’s the first time in years that the top 15 most dispensed drugs changed.

An investigation of prescribers notified by the state of high opioid prescribing is “ongoing,” according to the report.

Last fall, the boards overseeing doctors, dentists and nurses began referring healthcare professionals for additional investigation who were dispensing high volumes of opioids.

The Medical Examining Board referred seven doctors and later referred seven physician assistants. The Dentistry Examining Board referred 16 prescribers, and the Board of Nursing referred four.

In addition, the Board of Nursing sent letters to 800-plus advance practice nurse practitioners who use the prescription drug monitoring program less than 50 percent of the time to increase awareness of the program and its tools.

This article first appeared in the Wisconsin Health News daily email newsletter. Sign up for your free trial here.