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Opioid Painkiller Prescribing infographic

Some states have more painkiller prescriptions per person than others.

Some states have more painkiller prescriptions per person than others.

This color-coded U.S. map shows the number of painkiller prescriptions per 100 people in each of the fifty states plus the District of Columbia in 2012. Data from IMS, National Prescription Audit (NPATM), 2012.

Quartile
(Painkiller Prescriptions per 100 People)		 States
52-71 HI, CA, NY, MN, NJ, AK, SD, VT, IL, WY, MA, CO
72-82.1 NH, CT, FL, IA, NM, TX, MD, ND, WI, WA, VA, NE, MT
82.2-95 AZ, ME, ID, DC, UT, PA, OR, RI, GA, DE, KS, NV, MO
96-143 NC, OH, SC, MI, IN, AR, LA, MS, OK, KY, WV, TN, AL

Health care providers in different states prescribe at different levels.

Health care providers in different states prescribe at different levels.

This graphic orders the fifty states plus the District of Columbia by the number of painkiller prescriptions per 100 people. There are five pill bottles:

  • The green bottle contains states that have the lowest number of prescription painkillers per 100 people: 52-63 (5 states).
  • The yellow bottle contains states that have 65-82 prescription painkillers per 100 people (21 states).
  • The orange bottle contains states that have 85-102 prescription painkillers per 100 people (15 states).
  • The red-orange bottle contains states that have 107 to 120 prescription painkillers per 100 people (5 states).
  • The red bottle contains states that have the highest number of prescription painkillers per 100 people: 128-143 (5 states).

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State Painkiller Prescriptions
per 100 People
HI 52
CA 57
NY 60
MN 62
NJ 63
State Painkiller Prescriptions
per 100 People
AK 65
SD 66
VT 67
IL 68
WY 70
MA 71
CO 71
NH 72
CT 72
FL 73
IA 73
NM 74
TX 74
MD 74
ND 75
WI 76
WA 77
VA 78
NE 79
MT 82
AZ 82
State Painkiller Prescriptions
per 100 People
ID 86
DC 86
UT 86
PA 88
OR 89
RI 90
GA 91
DE 91
KS 94
NV 94
MO 95
NC 97
OH 100
SC 102
State Painkiller Prescriptions
per 100 People
MI 107
IN 109
AR 116
LA 118
MS 120

State Painkiller Prescriptions
per 100 People
OK 128
KY 128
WV 138
TN 143
AL 143

Making a Difference: State Successes

New York down 75%

2012 Action:
New York required prescribers to check the state’s prescription drug monitoring program before prescribing painkillers. 

2013 Result: Saw a 75% drop in patients who were seeing multiple prescribers to obtain the same drugs, which would put them at higher risk of overdose.

Florida down 50%

2010 Action:
Florida regulated pain clinics and stopped health care providers from dispensing prescription painkillers from their offices. 

2012 Result: Saw more than 50% decrease in overdose deaths from oxycodone.

Tennessee down 36%

2012 Action:
Tennessee required prescribers to check the state’s prescription drug monitoring program before prescribing painkillers. 

2013 Result: Saw a 36% drop in patients who were seeing multiple prescribers to obtain the same drugs, which would put them at higher risk of overdose.

SOURCES: NY, TN: PDMP Center of Excellence at Brandeis University, 2014. FL: Vital Signs Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, July 1, 2014.

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  • Page last reviewed: July 1, 2014
  • Page last updated: July 1, 2014
  • Content source:
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