A new study from the University of Oregon revealed that areas located within a mile radius of a dispensary experience lower prescription rates for opioids.
Researchers used data from the Oregon Health Authority’s Public Health Division and analyzed the number of opioid prescriptions from 2014 to 2017, finding that places that were within one mile of a licensed dispensary had prescription opioid rates ranging from 1% to 3.9% lower than nearby communities.
Authored by Steven J. Dundas, an associate professor at University of Oregon, and Jason Beasley, a former student of Dundas and associate professor at the University of Michigan, the study aimed to explore how mortality and prescription rates of opioids relate to the number of licensed dispensaries in a given area.
Areas that were located between one and four miles from a dispensary saw higher rates of opioid prescriptions; a pattern that continued as the distance from a dispensary in a particular community increased. Areas that were over 10 miles from a licensed dispensary continued to see higher rates of opioid prescriptions.
While the study found comparable links to lower prescription rates and state-operated dispensaries, no connection to a decrease