06/26/2015
Board of Pharmacy Releases OARRS Report
Semiannual report tracks opioid prescribing and OARRS usage in Ohio
To address the growing misuse and diversion of prescription drugs, The Ohio General Assembly enacted legislation in 2004 which created a prescription drug monitoring program, known as the Ohio Automated Rx Reporting System (OARRS). OARRS collects information on all outpatient prescriptions for controlled substances dispensed by Ohio pharmacies and prescribers.
By law, the Ohio Board of Pharmacy is required to submit semiannual reports on OARRS activity. The report is divided into three sections:
- Opioid prescriptions dispensed by pharmacies to Ohio patients
- Opioid pain relievers that have been personally furnished to a patient by an Ohio prescriber, other than a prescriber who is a veterinarian
- OARRS registration and usage statistics
The latest report—which details opioid prescribing from July 2014 to December 2014—was released earlier this month and can be accessed on the Ohio Board of Pharmacy’s website.