The Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) opioid prescribing reports compare prescribers’ opioid prescribing rates to the average rates of their specialty peers. The goal of sharing individual and comparative prescribing data with providers is to support self reflection and quality improvement.
The opioid prescribing reports include data for seven Sentinel opioid prescribing measures. These seven measures assess individual prescribing behavior in the acute, post-acute and chronic pain phases. DHS and the Opioid Prescribing Work Group developed the measures through careful analysis of Minnesota Medicaid and MinnesotaCare prescription data as well as national prescribing measures.
Comprehensive information about the DHS opioid prescribing reports and the measures are available in this section. Additional references include the following:
Please email questions to DHS at dhs.opioid@state.mn.us. Allow 2-3 business days for a response.
Reports are distributed to prescribers between May and June each year and reflect prescribing data from the previous calendar year. 2023 data will determine whether providers should engage in quality improvement (QI) with DHS in 2024. Visit the Program overview webpage for more information about the QI program.
Providers who did not receive a report can request one from DHS by emailing dhs.opioid@state.mn.us.
Under Minnesota Statutes, 256B.0638, the opioid prescribing reports are confidential. DHS does not share provider reports with others, such as patients, journalists or licensing boards. DHS is authorized to share prescribers’ OPIP prescribing data with their affiliated health system or practice group, and notify health systems and practice groups when clinicians are required to participate in the quality improvement program. This notification occurs together with issuing the annual reports.
