317801
Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs (PDMPs) in pharmacy practice: A clinical resource to support pharmacists' professional judgment and fight prescription drug abuse
Tuesday, November 3, 2015
Connor Norwood, MHA,
Health Workforce Studies Program, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN
Eric Wright, PhD,
Department of Sociology, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA
Pharmacists are in a unique position within the healthcare system and are often faced with tough decisions regarding dispensing controlled substances due to a variety of factors that may inhibit their ability to make evidence-based clinical decisions. This study aims to determine if the use of INSPECT, Indiana’s Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (PDMP), as a clinical resource significantly impacts pharmacists dispensing behavior of controlled substances. IU Center for Health Policy administered a survey in collaboration with the Indiana Professional Licensing Agency to Indiana pharmacists with privileges to dispense controlled substances. Multiple logistic regression assessed how knowledge and use of INSPECT correlated with pharmacists’ dispensing practices and decision to exercise their right to refuse to dispense controlled substances. Practitioners who reported using INSPECT “Periodically” or “At every visit” were statistically more likely to refuse to dispense more controlled substances than pharmacists who reported never checking INSPECT (ORperiodically = 3.0, 95% CI, 1.351 – 6.763; OReveryvisit = 3.3, 95% CI, 1.307 – 8.465). The study suggests that integration of and consistent use of PDMPs in pharmacy practice provide pharmacists with additional patient information necessary to exercise their professional judgment as it relates to corresponding responsibility and dispensing of controlled substance. Leveraging pharmacists’ clinical expertise and strategic position in the health system is vital to fighting the prescription drug abuse epidemic that plagues the United States. Therefore, health policies must strive to equip pharmacists with the clinical support and resources needed to effectively exercise their professional judgment in the dispensing of controlled substances.
Learning Areas:
Other professions or practice related to public health
Public health administration or related administration
Public health or related laws, regulations, standards, or guidelines
Public health or related organizational policy, standards, or other guidelines
Public health or related public policy
Public health or related research
Learning Objectives:
Define the prescription drug abuse epidemic in the United States and its impact on public health.
Identify the role of pharmacists in dispensing controlled substances.
Discuss a recent study that suggests increasing clinical resources to pharmacists and leveraging their strategic position in the health system may be key to reducing the diversion of prescription drugs.
Keyword(s): Pharmacists, Prescription Drug Abuse and Misuse
Presenting author's disclosure statement:Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: As a policy analyst and PhD Student studying health policy, I am an active member of the Indiana Prescription Drug Abuse Task force. I have also been invited to serve on an expert panel to discuss health policy issues surrounding prescription drug abuse and treatment in Indiana. Furthermore, I have conducted research on the implementation and use of Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs in pharmacy practice as a way of combating prescription drug abuse.
Any relevant financial relationships? No
I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines,
and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed
in my presentation.
