1. PDMPs are valuable tools: 87 percent of physicians agree that PDMPs help them become more informed about a patient’s prescription history.
2. PDMPs need changes to be more beneficial: Physicians said that PDMPs would be much more helpful if they were improved to integrate with electronic health records, provide real-time data and other key features that would make them even more useful.
3. Physicians want more practice specific continuing medical education (CME): 68 percent of survey respondents said they have taken CME on safe opioid prescribing, and 55 percent have taken CME on managing pain with opioid alternatives.
5. Physicians strongly support co-prescribing naloxone: More than 80 percent of physicians said that naloxone should be available to a patient at risk of an overdose via a standing order or collaborative practice agreement with a pharmacist.
”The survey was conducted for the AMA by TNS Global Research between Nov. 13 and 23. The sample size was 2,130 practicing physicians who provide a minimum of 20 hours per week in direct patient care, have a current Drug Enforcement Administration license to prescribe Schedule II controlled substances and prescribe opioids at least on a weekly basis. The sample included all practice settings and regions in the United States.