Buntin: State drug monitoring programs can prevent one opioid-related overdose death every two hours
The implementation of state prescription drug monitoring programs was associated with the prevention of approximately one opioid-related overdose death every two hours on average nationwide, according to a new Vanderbilt-led study released this week in the journal Health Affairs.Senior author, Melinda Buntin, Ph.D., professor and chair of the Department of Health Policy at Vanderbilt, said "“This work is important not only because it demonstrates that prescription drug monitoring programs can save lives, but also because it shows that there are specific actions that states can take to strengthen their programs."