The results of a recent study may offer some good news to those fighting against opioid abuse.
Opioid prescriptions in Virginia decreased between 2015 and 2016, according to a study conducted by Virginia Hospital and Healthcare Association’s (VHHA) Analytics Team.
Team members identified prescription trends by analyzing Medicaid and commercial insurance claims filed in the Virginia All-Payer Claims Database (APCD).
In 2015 and 2016, according to APCD data, about 677,000 people received 2.5 million prescriptions — about 3.7 prescriptions for each patient.
During the two years, opioid prescription refills decreased from about 111,700 monthly prescriptions in January 2015 to about 95,000 in December 2016.
Seven of 106 opioids were not included in the analysis, according to a release.
Community hospitals and health systems throughout Virginia have sought to address the opioid crisis in various ways.
In January 2016, the VHHA Board of Directors established the Task Force on Prescription Opioid Abuse, which aims to identify strategies that will help fight abuse.
Hospitals are also supporting REVIVE! trainings, which seek to teach participants about opioid overdoses and the lifesaving drug Naloxone.
Several organizations are hosting an upcoming REVIVE! training in Prince William County later this month.
