Here's one for a datapoint.
As a dentist, I have a DEA number.
When I get home at night, I check onto PPOT and my email (In no particular order).
In addition to TABS's pimp daddy pics, on my email I get a custom printout of what I prescribed.
I think these are interesting, in that in average to ordinary dentists, I am prescribing more than the other guys, but, I am also doing a lot more oral surgery than the average folk. This feedback is also interesting that it references cross prescriptions with other doctors.
I think it also shows another trend, regardless of what I treat, and how I treat it, the average practitioner has cut way back on prescriptions. The average dentist is prescribing just two a month, that is how much this has been curtailed.
Also, in our continuing education, we are mandated now to dedicate a certain amount of CE time dedicated to this issue.
So guess what...
Tomorrow I will log onto PPOT, check out TABS's latest fly daddy pics, and then take a 3 hour CE course on this subject (not TABS- narcotics...).
I am sharing this to provide some insight into what is being done at a provider level to address this issue.
edit... I am agreeing this stuff is interesting, but the people enforcing this aren't in the real world....