In response to the opioid crisis, all states except Missouri operate databases called prescription monitoring programs (PMPs) that capture controlled substances dispensed in the state.

Prescribers, pharmacists, and other qualified users can electronically query the database to quickly view a patient’s prescription history.

Adam Sacarny and coauthors examine whether sending letters to clinicians in Minnesota increased their engagement with PMPs and the potential for these programs to reduce concurrent prescribing of opioids with benzodiazepines or gabapentinoids.

The authors find that simple letters to clinicians highlighting a PMP search mandate with or without patient information increased engagement with the program.

These findings have important implications for preventing overdoses given that engaging with PMP "can help clinicians identify patients at risk for overdose and manage their treatment appropriately," conclude Sacarny and coauthors.

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