Research
Prescriptions Down 25%, Overdoses Cut in Half: What Stopped a Gabapentinoid Surge?
The Brief
- A retrospective study in Australia found that prescriptions fell about 25 percent and overdoses were cut in half.
- High-profile media coverage of harms linked to the gabapentinoid pregabalin (Lyrica) and tighter safeguards coincided with these declines.
- The study shows a coincidence in timing, so it does not by itself establish that the coverage or safeguards caused the drop.
Why it matters
The findings suggest that prescribing safeguards and public warnings may reduce gabapentinoid prescriptions and overdoses, which is relevant to clinicians and policymakers weighing similar measures.
Who’s affected
- clinicians who prescribe gabapentinoids
- drug policy and pharmacoepidemiology researchers
- #gabapentinoids
- #pregabalin
- #overdose
- #prescribing-policy
- #australia
(MedPage Today) -- High-profile media coverage of the harms associated with the gabapentinoid pregabalin (Lyrica) and tighter safeguards coincided with fewer prescriptions and overdoses in Australia, a retrospective study showed. Following a media...