Developing and Enhancing Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs (PDMPs)

In Fiscal Year 2006, Congress appropriated $7,500,000 to the U.S. Department of Justice to support the Harold Rogers Prescription Drug Monitoring Program. Prescription monitoring programs are systems where controlled substance dispensing data is submitted to a centralized database administered by an authorized state agency. These programs are designed to help prevent and detect the diversion and abuse of pharmaceutical controlled substances, particularly at the retail level where no other automated information collection system exists.

States that have implemented prescription drug monitoring programs have the capability of collecting and analyzing prescription data much more efficiently than states without such programs, where the collection of prescription information requires the manual review of pharmacy files which is a very time consuming and invasive process. The increased efficiency of prescription monitoring programs allows for the early detection of abuse trends and possible sources of diversion. The analysis of collected data also allows for the identification of outmoded prescribing practices, such as the undertreatment of pain, which may result in the development of educational programs for medical professionals.

The New York State Department of Health's Bureau of Narcotic Enforcement will use $400,000 in funding to establish and staff a statewide toll-free hotline accessible to prescribing practitioners. Through a Memorandum of Understanding, the Bureau of Narcotic Enforcement will enlist the support of the New York State Office of Alcohol and Substance Abuse Services (OASAS). OASAS will provide outreach and intervention information via the practitioner hotline, brochures and drug treatment materials for a 24 month period.

CA/NCF