Ask ECRI: Fighting Pharmacy Shopping when Prescribing Opioids

​An ECRI Institute member recently asked about concerns related to requiring patients to fill prescriptions for opioids at a single pharmacy. In particular, the member asked, are there patient safety or corporate compliance issues to consider?

In our response, we note that requiring patients to fill prescriptions for substances such as opioids at a single pharmacy is one strategy providers may use to help limit the risk of pharmacy shopping, which occurs when patients fill prescriptions at multiple pharmacies to avoid limits on controlled substances. Some providers may even require...