ArticleSubstance use & addiction journal2026
Decreased Gabapentin Prescription Fills Among Medicaid Enrollees Following State-Level Schedule V Controlled Substance Classification in Kentucky and West Virginia.
Article in Substance use & addiction journal, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
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Who cites it
1 citing paper in PubMed.
- Gabapentin Use in Medicaid After Descheduling.JAMA network open · 2026Article
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6 authors.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundDriven by concerns of gabapentin misuse and other harms, Kentucky (KY) and West Virginia (WV) became the first states to classify gabapentin as a schedule V controlled substance in July 2017 and June 2018, respectively. This study examined the association of these policies with gabapentin utilization among Medicaid beneficiaries.
methodsUsing a controlled interrupted time series design, we modeled a segmented generalized least squares regression and calculated the immediate and trend changes of gabapentin prescriptions among Medicaid enrollees in 2 states (KY, WV), separately. North Carolina (NC) was used as a control to account for secular changes; there was no controlled substance designation for gabapentin in NC during the study period. Total outpatient prescriptions per quarter (Q) were calculated from Medicaid's publicly available State Drug Utilization Data, and rates were established using state-specific combined Medicaid and CHIP average enrollment for the period 2016 to 2019. Multiple sensitivity analyses were performed, including a phase-in period model and internal negative control model, to assess robustness of results.
resultsOverall, utilization rates of gabapentin were higher in KY and WV relative to NC throughout the study period. The gabapentin controlled substance classification in KY was associated with a sustained decrease in trend (-10.6 prescriptions per 1000 enrollees per quarter; 95% CI: -13.6, -7.6) relative to NC. An immediate decrease in prescription rate (-18.9 prescriptions per 1000 enrollees; 95% CI: -32.7, -5.1) and a sustained decrease in trend (-3.8 prescriptions per 1000 enrollees per quarter; 95% CI: -7.1, -0.5) was observed in WV relative to NC.
conclusionsOur results show an association between decreased gabapentin utilization among Medicaid enrollees and classifying gabapentin as a schedule V controlled substance in KY and WV. Future research should focus on fully understanding the policy's impact on other populations and potential unintended or downstream effects.
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