Impact of Prescription Drug Monitoring Program on Drug Misuse and Drug-related Fatal Vehicle Crashes

Over the last two decades, prescription drug use increased across the U.S. and was associated with a corresponding rise in prescription drug misuse, overdose, and mortality. Also, prescription drugs can impair motor skills to operate safely of a motor vehicle and affect traffic safety. Drug Monitoring Programs (PDMPs) are systems that record substance-dispensing information to prevent, educate, and treat drug abuse. This dissertation systematically reviewed the literature to evaluate the impact of a PDMP on prescription drug abuse and misuse, and overdose. Additionally, this study examined the impact of Florida\u27s PDMP implementation on drug-related motor vehicle crashes occurring on public roads. This cross-sectional study employed a difference-in-differences model and negative binomial regression model to analyze trends in drugged driving-related crashes from the Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) in Florida two years before and after the Florida PDMP implementation in 2011. Results show that states with mandatory use and enrollment PDMPs most likely experience a reduction in prescription misuse, abuse, and mortality. Therefore, PDMPs have become a critical policy tool to help address the Prescription drug crisis in the U.S. Additionally, PDMP implementation in Florida has been associated with a more than 20 percent decrease in prescription opioid-related vehicle fatal crashes