Rescheduling of gabapentin: effect on prescribing patterns Shivani Patel, Alicia Potter DeFalco, Laura Schalliol, Brian Winbigler South College School of Pharmacy - Knoxville, TN
Background/Purpose: Gabapentin has potential addictive properties that can lead to higher abuse and misuse. The rescheduling of gabapentin as a controlled substance places tighter regulations on dispensing and prescribing. Prescribers may take further steps to determine if the patient is a true candidate of the medication. The purpose of this project is to identify chronic gabapentin patients before July 1, 2018, and compare their gabapentin use after July 1, 2018, when gabapentin became a schedule V medication in the state of Tennessee. This project will look for a decrease in prescribing gabapentin after it became a schedule V medication.
Methodology: This study will be submitted to the Institutional Review Board for approval. Patients with a 90- day fill rate of gabapentin before July 1, 2018 will be evaluated for the study. These patients will be followed until January 2019 to assess if the prescribing pattern of gabapentin will show a decrease in fill rate. Kroger will provide a list of patients who have been receiving gabapentin amongst their stores in Knoxville, TN Division 4 area. The following data will be obtained from Kroger: patient name, age, gender, city, sale date, product name, product strength, quantity dispensed, and store number. All data will be de-identified to further assess for change in prescribing pattern. This data will help to disclose the primary outcome if there is a decrease in prescribing gabapentin after it became a schedule V medication in the state of Tennessee.
Presentation Objective: Describe the changes in prescribing patterns that resulted due to the rescheduling of gabapentin in the state of Tennessee.
Self-Assessment: What effect did the rescheduling of gabapentin products have on prescribing patterns?
