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Jan. 29, 2020Jefferson City, Mo. |  By: AP

Opioid prescriptions down significantly in Missouri Medicaid

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) - Opioid prescriptions are down significantly in Missouri's Medicaid health care program.

New figures show that the number of Medicaid participants receiving opioid prescriptions fell to fewer than 110,000 in 2019, the second straight year with a 12% decline.

Meanwhile, the number of pills prescribed to those people fell by 25% last year. State Medicaid Director Todd Richardson cites improved public awareness about the severity of the opioid crisis.

He also credits state policy changes that have limited many initial opioid prescriptions to seven days and have expanded treatment options for people dealing with pain.