The Effect of Informative Letters on the Prescription and Receipt of Opioids

Not Applicable

Withdrawn

• Conditions: Fraud; Health Expenditures; Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (U.S.); Economics; Prescribing; Delivery of Health Care

• Registration Number: NCT03202745
• Lead Sponsor: Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab

Brief Summary

Inappropriate prescribing exposes patients to health risks and results in wasteful public expenditures. This study will evaluate an approach to fighting abusive prescription: sending letters to suspected potentially inappropriate prescribers warning them that they are outliers compared to their peers and have been flagged for review. The study will target high prescribers of opioids in the Schedule II controlled substances class. Two types of letters will be tested: one focusing on the health consequences of inappropriate prescribing for patients, and the other focusing on the consequences for prescribers including e.g. potential administrative actions. Using claims data, the investigators will assess the effect of the letters on prescribing of opioids, receipt of opioids by patients, substitution behavior by prescribers and patients, and health outcomes of patients.

Detailed Description

Not available

Study Timeline

• Study Start: 2017-01
• Study First Submitted: 2017-06-27
• Study First Submitted QC: 2017-06-27
• Study First Posted: 2017-06-29
• Primary Completion: 2018-01
• Study Completion: 2019-01
• Status Verified: 2021-08
• Last Update Submitted: 2021-08-05
• Last Update Posted: 2021-08-12

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: WITHDRAWN
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: Not specified

Inclusion Criteria

• Outlier with respect to prescribing of Schedule II opioids relative to peers, measured in prescription drug events (PDE), in 2014Q3-2015Q2 and 2015Q3-2016Q2
• Outlier with respect to prescribing of Schedule II opioids relative to peers, measured in 30-day equivalents, in 2014Q3-2015Q2 and 2015Q3-2016Q2

Exclusion Criteria

• Deceased
• Fewer than 75 Schedule II Opioid PDE in 2015Q3-2016Q2
• Specialty listed as "Student in an Organized Health Care Education/Training Program"

Study & Design

• Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Design: PARALLEL

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Morphine Milligrams Equivalent (MME)	9 months