Close up image of a caretaker helping older woman walk

State prescription drug monitoring programs were associated with up to a 9% reduction in opioid prescriptions at high risk for misuse, an October analysis in Health Affairs found.

Cornell Medical College researchers looked at mandates that began between 2011 and 2015 that included legislative actions for drug monitoring. But “results will need updates in the context of evolving state opioid policies — including the increasing integration of drug monitoring data with electronic health records,” researchers said.