KGMI News
ATLANTA, Georgia – A new federal analysis from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has found that opioid prescriptions are falling from their 2010 peak.
Nationally, prescriptions were 18% lower in 2015 compared to 2010.
Despite the drop, 2015 prescription rates are three times higher compared with 1999.
A State and County prescription map published by the CDC shows Washington State and Whatcom County both follow the national prescription trend.
The analysis found tremendous regional variation in prescription rates, with rural areas reporting higher prescription rates.
The New York Times reports Dr. Caleb Alexander, of the Johns Hopkins Center for Drug Safety and Effectiveness as saying an enormous volume of opioid prescriptions is driven by a very small number of prescribers, who need to be targeted with educational outreach, sanctions, or both.