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John Martinez


Why Invest in a Prescription Drug Monitoring Program? 

October 18, 2022


Clinician, EHR 2 Minute Read

In response to an opioid epidemic that’s claimed more than 500,000 lives over two decades, all 50 states and the District of Columbia have now implemented prescription drug monitoring programs (PDMPs). PDMPs are electronic databases that track controlled substance prescriptions in individual states to address the crisis by improving the prescription process, informing clinical practitioners, and protecting at-risk patients.  

A patient-first mentality is a win-win for all 

Most if not all healthcare providers would say they chose the profession to help people, not to do administrative work. While the complexities of electronic health records (EHRs) make some physicians skeptical about their benefits, PDMPs are a more straightforward and direct approach to helping people in real-time. 

For instance, an article from the Australian Primary Health Care Research Institute on the benefits of PDMPs describes a familiar scenario for many physicians—trying to determine if a patient is exaggerating their pain in order to receive a controlled substance prescription. With a PDMP, physicians can gain a broader picture of the situation by knowing whether the patient is using multiple medical providers to abuse a particular substance.  

PDMP, Prescription Drug Monitoring Program, What is PDMP, PDMP FAQ

Additionally, PDMPs help patient-provider relationship through an increase of trust and honesty. In this sense, PDMPs increase the chance of a positive healthcare outcome through multiple scenarios: 

  1. The physician can anticipate risk of complications from polypharmacy prescribing. 
  1. A patient may be more forthcoming if they’re aware of the PDMP policy. 
  1. Instead of requiring a drug screening, the physician can simply check the PDMP.  

Outside of the physician’s office, PDMPs give local governing bodies insight into demographic and geographic trends in their area. With this knowledge, officials can identify areas of high opioid misuse and develop a plan to educate and combat the issue, potentially preventing the unnecessary loss of life.  

With the information PDMPs provide, physicians can reconsider their prescribing tendencies, feel more confident in their clinical judgment, improve their quality of care, and intervene sooner when addiction is a potential problem.  

Combat the epidemic; implement a PDMP today! 

Implementing a PDMP shows you’re committed to an ethical, human-first practice that focuses on quality of care.  

Why wait to implement this lifesaving and reputation-building program? At ChartLogic, we realize the importance of this tool and the grave reality of this epidemic. To learn more about how we can facilitate your PDMP needs, click here



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