Retail Pharmacies and Drug Diversion during the Opioid Epidemic

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Janssen, Aljoscha; Zhang, Xuan
• 署名单位: Singapore Management University
• 刊物名称: AMERICAN ECONOMIC REVIEW
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0002-8282
• DOI: 10.1257/aer.20210357
• 发表日期: 2023
• 页码: 1-33
• 关键词: extended-release oxycodone; MONITORING PROGRAMS; ABUSE; COMPETITION; oxycontin; pain; REFORMULATION; consolidation; overdose; prices

摘要

This study investigates the role of retail pharmacy ownership in the opioid epidemic. Using data of prescription opioid orders, we show that compared with chain pharmacies, independent pharmacies dis-pense 39.1 percent more opioids and 60.5 percent more OxyContin. After an independent pharmacy becomes a chain pharmacy, opioid dispensing decreases. Using the OxyContin reformulation, which reduced nonmedical demand but not the legitimate medical demand, we show that at least one-third of the difference in the amount of OxyContin dispensed can be attributed to nonmedical demand. We show that differences in competitive pressure and whether phar-macists own the pharmacy drive our estimates. (JEL G32, I12, L22, L81)