Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2018 Mar;19(2):387-391.
doi: 10.5811/westjem.2017.12.35957. Epub 2018 Feb 22.

Optimal Implementation of Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs in the Emergency Department

Joshua W Elder  1 , Garrett DePalma  1   2 , Jesse M Pines  2
Affiliations
Review

Optimal Implementation of Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs in the Emergency Department

Joshua W Elder et al. West J Emerg Med. 2018 Mar.

Abstract

The opioid epidemic is the most significant modern-day, public health crisis. Physicians and lawmakers have developed methods and practices to curb opioid use. This article describes one method, prescription drug monitoring programs (PDMP), through the lens of how to optimize use for emergency departments (ED). EDs have rapidly become a central location to combat opioid abuse and drug diversion. PDMPs can provide emergency physicians with comprehensive prescribing information to improve clinical decisions around opioids. However, PDMPs vary tremendously in their accessibility and usability in the ED, which limits their effectiveness at the point of care. Problems are complicated by varying state-to-state requirements for data availability and accessibility. Several potential solutions to improving the utility of PDMPs in EDs include integrating PDMPs with electronic health records, implementing unsolicited reporting and prescription context, improving PDMP accessibility, data analytics, and expanding the scope of PDMPs. These improvements may help improve clinical decision-making for emergency physicians through better data, data presentation, and accessibility.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Conflicts of Interest: By the WestJEM article submission agreement, all authors are required to disclose all affiliations, funding sources and financial or management relationships that could be perceived as potential sources of bias. No author has professional or financial relationships with any companies that are relevant to this study. There are no conflicts of interest or sources of funding to declare.

References

    1. Gugelmann H, Perrone J, Nelson L. Windmills and pill mills: can PDMPs tilt the prescription drug epidemic? J Med Toxicol. 2012;8(4):378–86. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Marco CA, Venkat A, Baker EF, et al. Prescription drug monitoring programs: ethical issues in the emergency department. Ann Emerg Med. 2016;68(5):589–98. - PubMed
    1. Grover CA, Elder JW, Close RJ, et al. How frequently are “classic” drug-seeking behaviors used by drug-seeking patients in the emergency department? West J Emerg Med. 2012;13(5):416–21. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Kerlikoqsky G, Jones C, Labelle R, et al. Prescription drug monitoring programs - lack of effectiveness or a call to action? Pain Med. 2011;12(5):687–9. - PubMed
    1. Clark T, Eadie J, Knue P, et al. Prescription drug monitoring programs: an assessment of the evidence for best practices. The Pew Charitable Trusts; [Accessed on November 22, 2017]. Available at: http://www.pewtrusts.org/~/media/assets/0001/pdmp_update_1312013.pdf.

MeSH terms

Substances