New States Added to National Network of Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs

To help combat the opioid epidemic and assist in the prevention of prescription drug misuse, North Carolina and Oregon are now participating in the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy’s^® (NABP’s^®) prescription monitoring program (PMP) and data sharing system, NABP PMP InterConnect^®.

These two states have joined the secure national network of PMPs that allows authorized prescribers and pharmacists to access information about their patients’ controlled substance prescriptions across state lines. There are now 45 states participating in the program.

A report from the President’s Commission on Combating Drug Addiction and the Opioid Crisis highlights prescription drug monitoring programs as an important tool to aid in the fight against opioid abuse. Such systems can be used for early detection and prevention of drug abuse and addiction, and a national network like PMP InterConnect allows for a secure exchange of prescription data between states. It can also help identify patients who cross state lines to purchase drugs for the purposes of misuse or diversion.

“We provide a national PMP data sharing solution that brings the states together for a safe and secure exchange. North Carolina and Oregon were integrated seamlessly into our system, a system that is the only one of its kind and has been in operation since 2011,” said NABP President Jeanne Waggener, RPh, DPh. “We want to keep the public safe and help pharmacists and prescribing physicians flag potential instances of drug misuse, especially as it relates to the opioid epidemic.”

PMP InterConnect currently processes over 15 million requests and 18.5 million responses per month. It is free of charge for participating states. For more information about PMP InterConnect, visit www.nabp.pharmacy/PMP.

NABP is the independent, international, and impartial Association that assists its state member boards and jurisdictions for the purpose of protecting the public health.