Florida Prescription Drug Monitoring Program Implementation

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.

Grant funds for this award will be used by the Florida Department of Health to establish a system for monitoring the practices of prescribing, dispensing, and consumption of prescription drugs. The proposed data base will assist in eliminating 'pill mills' and other illegal diversion and abuse through identification of multiple prescriptions to an individual or excessive dispensing from a facility. This information can be requested by law enforcement, medical regulatory boards, and the Attorney General's Medicaid Fraud Unit if any of these entities have an active investigation involving prescription drugs. The strategy to target reductions in prescription drug abuse will emphasize a three-pronged approach including law enforcement, prevention, and treatment.

CA/NCF