Prescription Opioids: Medicare Should Expand Oversight Efforts To Reduce The Risk Of Harm

On January 17, 2018, the United States Government Accountability Office (GAO) released this testimony on how Medicare should expand oversight efforts to reduce the risk of harm in relation to prescription opioid use. The GAO previously found problems such as "doctor shopping" and questionable prescribing practices in Medicare's prescription drug benefits. With 14.4 million people receiving at least one opioid prescription through Medicare in 2016, the GAO asserts that reducing opioid over-prescribing could make a difference. The GAO suggests ways to help Medicare collect information on doctor investigations and at-risk beneficiaries that could help it determine . . .