The key reasons why or why not prescribing providers of opioids access the Ohio Automated Rx Reporting System (OARRS)

Many times, individuals with the disease of addiction are stigmatized, criminalized, and/or restrained from accessing mental health and addiction services due to lack of financial resources or health insurance. The prescription drug crisis and opioid overdose crisis is an epidemic but has not had an epidemic-appropriate public health response (Davis, Green, & Beletsky, 2017). According to Davis et al (2017), the root causes of the opioid epidemic includes; overprescribing of opioid pain medications, economic stress, social isolation, and systemic pressures on the health care system to deal with individual’s convoluted physical and mental health needs. Much has been written about the opioid epidemic with its resulting increased death rates, Fentanyl abuse, and prescription opioid overdoses, the need for naloxone to reverse opioid overdoses and prescription drug monitoring programs (PDMPs). An extensive literature review was conducted over the past thirty-six months regarding the opioid epidemic, specifically with the focus on PDMPs and Ohio’s PDMP-Ohio Automated Rx Reporting System (OARRS). Gaps have been identified pertaining to compliance with OARRS and PDMPs across the United States, as well as gaps in treatment, resources, and on-going addiction services. The focus of this qualitative research was to answer the following research questions: What is the relationship between prescribing providers of opioids and access to the Ohio Automated Rx Reporting System (OARRS)? Furthermore, why are there discrepancies among the providers and their use of the system? Understanding the reasons of why or why not providers access OARRS prior to prescribing opioids is important to be able to increase the use of the data available on OARRS which in turn could possibly impact the opioid crisis. This research included in-depth interviews with medical doctors (MDs), doctors-of-osteopathic medicine (DOs), and physician assistants (PAs), licensed by the State Medical Board of Ohio, advanced practice RNs (APRNs) licensed by the Ohio Board of Nursing, and dentists (DDS) licensed by the Ohio State Dental Board. This research examined the use of OARRS by prescribing providers to better understand why or why not prescribing providers were accessing available information on OARRS. The researcher wanted to understand the level of access to OARRS by prescribing providers which will add to the available research and understanding on the use of OARRS. This may assist in recommending other approaches to increase the use of OARRS by prescribing providers