Unexpected benefits: Opioid monitoring programs' impact on domestic violence

Using NACJD-created National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS) Extract Files, authors Barbos and Sun are the first to provide evidence that US policies designed to control opioid abuse also help reduce domestic violence. They found that when US states implemented Mandatory Access Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs (MA PDMPs)–which require healthcare providers to check electronic databases before prescribing controlled substances like opioids–there was a meaningful reduction in domestic violence incidents. The NIBRS Extract Files contain police agency reports of crime, including incident, victim, offender, and arrestee information. With these data, Barbos and Sun were able to estimate instances of domestic partner violence in a sample of 1,300 localities across 31 states from 2007-2019, comparing rates of domestic violence in states before MA PDMPs were implemented, and after–when access to opioids was suddenly restricted. They carefully controlled for other factors, including demographics, economic conditions, and other drug-related policies. They found that the most common form of domestic partner abuse–simple assault–decreased by approximately 10 percent. This effect was strongest in states with previously high opioid prescription rates, occurred across all demographic categories, and appeared to increase over time after MA PDMP implementation.

May 15, 2025