Award Information
Description of original award (Fiscal Year 2008, $400,000)
Since the beginning of FY 2002, Congress has appropriated funding to the U.S. Department of Justice to support the Harold Rogers Prescription Drug Monitoring Program. Prescription drug monitoring programs enhance the capacity of regulatory and law enforcement agencies to collect and analyze controlled substance prescription data through 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. The increased efficiency of automated prescription drug monitoring programs allows for the early detection of abuse trends and possible sources of diversion.
The Rhode Island Department of Health (HEALTH) recognizes that its current monitoring system, although capable of providing an internal mechanism for analysis and reporting of prescription use, should allow for law enforcement, prescribers, and dispensers to access information directly from the existing database. Information in an aggregate form should be utilized for research, policy-making, and educational purposes.
HEALTH will use their 2008 Prescription Drug Monitoring Program funds to enhance their existing program and will allow HEALTH's external stakeholders (dispensers and prescribers, law enforcement officials, licensing boards) direct access for reports through a secure electronic interchange. These proposed enhancements (acquisition of software application, securing confidential access of PMP data to external stakeholders, and interstate sharing) will improve HEALTH's ability to collect and analyze data, provide the capacity for external access to data by stakeholders, and enable HEALTH to provide training and outreach activities to the community.
CA/NCF