David Fink

These programs can differ substantially between states, and some states change over time, one of the biggest challenges when you're doing this research is that you oftentimes say,' What is the effect of prescription drug monitoring programs ?' But it's tough to say what we mean by that.

What it really offers is this cautionary tale that says a few things. One, the amount of money and resources that are going into these programs need to be evaluated to understand what their ultimate costs are, studies have come out in the past looking at reduced prescribing behavior, but we're taking it to the next level -- looking at fatal or nonfatal overdoses. And what we're seeing is that when you actually look at the literature, it isn't that strong to support.

Every single state has a prescription drug monitoring program or has implemented legislation. We say' implemented legislation' because Missouri has been dragging their feet. They have implemented legislation and will hopefully be enacting it next year.