Guam Prescription Drug Monitoring Program

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 (PDMP). Prescription drug monitoring programs enhance the capacity of regulatory and law enforcement agencies and public health officials 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.

The Prescription Drug Monitoring Program assists states as they plan, implement, or enhance a PDMP. PDMPs: build a state-level data collection and analysis system to enhance the capacity of regulatory and law enforcement agencies and public health officials for future prevention efforts; enhance existing programs' abilities to analyze and use collected data to identify drug abuse trends and increase the number of users of the PDMP; facilitate national evaluation efforts to ensure continued support; encourage the exchange of information among states to prevent cross-border diversion; assess the efficiency and effectiveness of programs to ensure continued state-level support; and, enhance collaborations with law enforcement, prosecutors, treatment professionals, the medical community, and pharmacies to establish a comprehensive PDMP strategy.

The Guam Department of Public Health & Social Services will use the grant funds in the amount of $286,353 to continue data collection processes, develop a program reporting process and materials, and develop and conduct user training. The overall objective of the project is to use grant monies to assist in the acquisition of the hardware, software, and data collection tools necessary to build the Guam Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (GPDMP) repository of Schedule II through Schedule V prescription drugs. By the time grant monies are available to the Guam GPDMP, the selection of a data collection tool and database, and the pilot testing of the data collection should be completed. Expansion of data collection beyond the pilot pharmacies will then commence. After the addition of the remaining pharmacies in Guam, and evaluation of the timeliness and accuracy of data submitted, efforts will be made to streamline the process of collecting data. Access to the controlled substance data will enable better coordination and more efficiently investigated drug diversion. Analysis of prescription data will aid in early detection of trends in abuse and possible sources of diversion. Analysis of this data will allow for identification of questionable prescribing practices and could result in the development of educational materials for medical professionals and the general public. The Guam PDMP will collaborate with stakeholders in the delivery of healthcare and the monitoring of controlled substances to prevent abuse and diversion. These stakeholders include: the Guam Police Department; the Office of the Attorney General of Guam; the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration; the Guam Medical Society; the Guam Nurses Association; the Guam Dental Society; the Guam Pharmacists Association; the Guam Boards of Medical, Dental, Pharmacist, and Nurse Examiners; the Committee on Economic Development, Health and Human Services and Judiciary of the Guam Legislature; and health insurance providers.

CA/NCF