• Alex Harocopos, Bennett Allen, and Rachel Chernick.
• Bureau of Alcohol and Drug Use Prevention, Care, and Treatment, New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, Long Island City, NY, USA.
• Fam Pract. 2022 Mar 24; 39 (2): 264-268.

BackgroundThe ways in which prescription drug monitoring programs (PDMPs) have been integrated into primary care practice remain understudied, and research into physician utilization of PDMPs in states where PDMP use is mandated remains scant.ObjectivesTo characterize primary care physician perspectives on and utilization of a mandatory PDMP in New York City.MethodsWe conducted face-to-face, in-depth interviews with primary care physicians who reported that they currently prescribed opioid analgesic medication. We used a thematic analytic approach to characterize physician perspectives on the PDMP mandate and physician integration of mandatory PDMP use into primary care practice.ResultsPrimary care providers demonstrated a continuum of PDMP utilization, ranging from consistent use to the specifications of the mandate to inconsistent use to no use. Providers reported a range of perspectives on the purpose and function of the PDMP mandate, as well as a lack of clarity about the mandate and its enforcement.ConclusionFindings suggest a need for increased clinical and public health education about the use of PDMPs as clinical tools to identify and treat patients with potential substance use disorders in primary care.© The Author(s) 2021. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved.For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

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