Report: Opioid Prescriptions Drop 11.7% in Wisconsin

Opioid prescriptions in Wisconsin fell nearly 12 percent in the final months of 2016 compared to the same period in 2015.

A new report from the Controlled Substances Board shows the number of prescriptions dropped 11.7 percent in the fourth quarter of 2016 compared with the fourth quarter of 2015, from 1.26 million in 2015 to 1.13 million in 2016.

The report also found that prescribers submitted 2.63 million records to the state’s Prescription Drug Monitoring Program. As of December, the database stored 48 million prescription records.

A 2015 state law requires prescribers to consult the database before dispensing a monitored drug. The law is expected to go into effect this spring.