Prescription monitoring programs and emergency department visits involving benzodiazepine misuse: Early evidence from 11 United States metropolitan areas.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Emergency department (ED) visits involving benzodiazepines have increased in the United States. Most states have created prescription monitoring programs (PMPs) to improve drug prescribing safety. To determine the association between PMP implementation and ED visits involving benzodiazepine misuse, we conducted a retrospective analysis of data from 11 metropolitan areas in the United States from 2004 to 2011.

Methods

We estimated rates of ED visits per 100,000 residents involving benzodiazepine misuse from the Drug Abuse Warning Network dataset. Dates of PMP implementation were obtained from program administrators. We used linear regression models to assess whether PMP implementation was associated with a change in ED visits involving benzodiazepines. Models were

SUBMITTER: Bachhuber MA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4752854 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature