Source: IQVIA “SMART – Launch Edition”, Dec 2017
Chart notes: Prescription counts are adjusted for length of prescriptions and re-aggregated. Prescriptions referred to as 90-day are calculated based on transactions with 84 days supply or more to include medicines with up to one week fewer treatment days. Prescriptions for 84 days supply or more or factored by three, and those under 84 days unchanged.
Source +
There were 23.3 billion fewer morphine milligram equivalents (MME) dispensed. In 2016 and 2017 seven states added new prescription opioid dispensing restrictions bringing the total states with such laws to 24.
2017
2014
The rescheduling was extended nationally, increasing restrictions
of prescribing and dispensing and resulting in a further reduction in the volume dispensed.
2012
Prescription opioid usage declined for the first time in 2012 following the change in New York to consider them under the more restrictive narcotic classification, schedule II.
2011
Prescription opioid usage
in the U.S. started increasing rapidly in the mid 1990’s and peaked in 2011.
MMEs Dispensed Bn
250
200
150
100
50
0
2017
2012
2007
2002
1997
1992
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Prescription opioid volumes peaked in
2011 and have since declined by 29%