Although changes in hormone production occurring at multiple stages throughout a women's life (such as during pregnancy, breast feeding, menopause, and postmenopausal) are presented as too complex to deal with in clinical trials, they could instead be embraced as clinical dilemmas that require additional study and consideration. We suggest that a focus should be made to reanalyze data from existing major treatment trials of antipsychotics to determine what medications specifically provide the most efficacy for female patients and at what dose range. In addition, new prospective studies are needed to specifically address appropriate adjustments in psychopharmacologic treatment for female patients during pregnancy, and when postmenopausal. More studies of the effects of antipsychotics on male and female fetuses in utero and during breast feeding are also needed to better manage women with schizophrenia and their offspring on a long-term basis in the community. There is currently too little known about sex differences in neuropharmacology. With the new USA National Institutes of Health policy to include sex in all new proposals, the time has come to close this gap in knowledge.

Background and Objectives Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs (PDMP) detect high‐risk prescribing and patient behaviors. This study describes the characteristics associated with documented PDMP access when prescribing opioids. Methods Retrospective chart review of 695 opioid prescriptions written from inpatient and outpatient medical and psychiatric settings. Data were abstracted and analyzed to identify characteristics associated with documented PDMP access. Results One‐third of the charts had PDMP access documented within the week of opioid prescription; 12% showed PDMP consultation on the same day. Services varied greatly from 10.5% (inpatient medicine) to 57% (inpatient psychiatry) with regard to same‐day PDMP access (P < .0001). Patient characteristics associated with PDMP access include having acute pain, current mental health treatment, and current and past substance use disorders (all P < .05). Logistic regression modeling identified three variables associated with the odds of PDMP access (c‐statistic = 0.66): if the prescription originated from the inpatient medicine unit (odds ratio [OR] = 0.47, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.32, 0.68), or if the patient received a prescription for an opioid in the past 30 days (OR = 0.30, 95% CI = 0.10, 0.90) or had a urine toxicology screen in the past year (OR = 2.00, 95% CI = 1.40, 2.90). Discussion and Conclusions Utilization of the PDMP varied by specialty and setting. Scientific Significance This study is among the first to compare rates of PDMP access in a large sample by specialty and practice setting in a healthcare system with a policy requiring its access and appropriate documentation. With less than one‐third adherence to the policy, additional steps to increase consistent PDMP access are warranted. (Am J Addict 2021;00:00–00)

Results extend the findings of other studies and add to an emerging appreciation of the factors associated with treatment retention for extended release naltrexone. (Am J Addict 2018;27:524-530).