# Prescriptions Down 25%, Overdoses Cut in Half: What Stopped a Gabapentinoid Surge?

Source: [MedPageToday.com - medical news for physicians](https://www.medpagetoday.com/neurology/painmanagement/123867) · 2026-11-12 · Medicine
Page: https://themorning.science/story/prescriptions-down-25-overdoses-cut-in-half-what-stopped-a-gabapentinoid-surge-034fb963a60bb109
Kind: research · Impact: medium

## In 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.

## Coverage

- [Prescriptions Down 25%, Overdoses Cut in Half: What Stopped a Gabapentinoid Surge?](https://www.medpagetoday.com/neurology/painmanagement/123867) — MedPageToday.com - medical news for physicians, 2026-11-12

Tags: gabapentinoids, pregabalin, overdose, prescribing-policy, australia

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Brief generated by AI (claude-haiku-5-5) from the reporting listed under Coverage. Headlines belong to their publishers. The Morning Science – https://themorning.science