DAYTON (AP) — The opioid prescribing rate at the Dayton Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Ohio has fallen by more than 40 percent since 2012.

That mirrors a national trend in the VA hospitals.

The Dayton Daily News reports the department released its prescribing data for VA hospitals for the first time since it launched its opioid reduction initiative five years ago.

Data shows 11 percent of prescriptions at the Dayton VA were for opioids last year. That’s down from 20 percent in 2012. The department’s overall prescribing rate has dropped 41 percent.

The department says it has turned to alternative methods for pain relief including medical massages, hypnosis and non-opiate pain medication.

Information from: Dayton Daily News, http://www.daytondailynews.com