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PMP Committee Phase II PMIX Pilot Project: Survey of State Prescription Monitoring Programs

NCJ Number
218850
Author(s)
John Eadie; Scott Serich
Date Published
January 2007
Length
60 pages
Annotation
This report describes the development and presents the findings of a survey that solicited information on the diversity of practice regarding data-sharing among the 32 States that have or will soon have operational Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs (PMPs), which 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.
Abstract
All 32 States with a PMP program responded to the survey. The survey findings confirm and clarify why PMIX capability is essential for PMPs to become effective in identifying and preventing the diversion and abuse of prescription controlled substances. Findings revealed the need and the opportunity for interorganizational sharing solutions that follow open exchange standards. This will enable an efficient nationwide implementation of PMIX capability. The States reported that 19 PMPs were fully operational, 6 were under development, and 7 were authorized in statute but not yet operational. The survey obtained data that will assist in comparing and contrasting current and future intrastate and interstate sharing practices among PMPs. Such sharing is necessary because of the potential for abusers of prescription drugs to shop for doctors across State borders in order to obtain prescriptions for the drugs being abused. The survey also identified interstate sharing partners; sharing volume and trends; Federal permissions and practices; authentication practices; memoranda of understanding; and fulfillment of requests from prescribers, pharmacists, law enforcement and regulatory agencies, researchers, and patients. In addition, the survey examined the likelihood that State PMP decisionmakers would require certain high-level features if they were to adopt a PMP information exchange (PMIX) system. 37 figures and appended survey instrument, survey contact list, survey protocol, and survey results