PDMPs and Abuse-Deterrent Technologies

In this segment, the panelists discuss the legal and regulatory reaction to public concerns over prescription opioid abuse. They talk about how state-run prescription drug monitoring programs have changed the practice of pain management by providing clinicians with tools that allow them to scrutinize patients’ prescription medication history, making it easier to identify doctor shoppers and other aberrant behaviors. They also discuss some of the shortcomings of this approach, including the fact that some systems do not track opioid products that are dispensed in a physician’s office or clinic. The lack of real-time updates is also identified as a potential problem.

The panelists also discuss the FDA’s recently issued guidance for industry on abuse-deterrent technologies for opioids and the impact that these formulations may have on clinical practice.