The key to the federal government’s efforts to rein in alarmingrates of opioid abuse is gettingdoctors to think twice before prescribing powerful painkillers. Anew study indicates that at least one measure the government hastaken to try to reduce opioid prescriptions has fallen flat.

In the study, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Servicessent letters informing 1,525 doctors that they were prescribing opioids far morefrequently than average. The typical doctor contacted wasprescribing four times as many Schedule II controlled substances asthe average doctor.

Unfortunately, the letters did not produce the intended effect.The prescription rates did notsignificantly decline.

It’s hard to tell whether it was the method or the specifics ofthe letter that are responsible for the apparent failure. It’spossible that a more strongly-worded letter could work, suggestexperts.

"I think if there is a way to make these letters effective itmay be one tool in the arsenal to curb the high rate of opioiddeaths," Adam Sacarny of the Mailman School of Public Health atColumbia University in New York City told Reuters.

The authors concluded their study, which was published in HealthAffairs, with: “Learning about the potential of light-touchinterventions, both effective and ineffective, will help produce abetter toolkit for policy makers to improve the value and safety ofhealth care.

In a rare display of bipartisan cooperation, the U.S. Senate ispoised to pass a bill aimed at tackling opioid abuse. Althoughthere is disagreement over whether to include $600 million inemergency funds requested by the White House, there is generalconsensus in favor of long-term efforts to fund efforts inprevention, treatment and research to reduce abuse of bothprescription drugs and heroin, which are closely linked.