Maine's Prescription Monitoring Program (PMP)
Daniel Eccher
Intended Audience: DHHS Employees only
Credit: 1 hr
MAINE’S PRESCRIPTION MONITORING PROGRAM (PMP)
Maine' Prescription Monitoring Program (PMP) is a tool created to prevent and detect prescription drug misuse and diversion. PMP maintains a database of all transactions for controlled substances dispensed in the State of Maine. This database is available online to prescribers and dispensers. A free service of the Office of Substance Abuse (OSA) in the Maine Department of Health and Human Services, the PMP database is quickly becoming a standard tool for clinicians to provide better care to their patients throughout the state. Anyone with a DEA number is encouraged to register to request patient reports. These patient reports, and the automatically sent threshold reports, enhance the ability of health care providers to coordinate care. The database is searchable online, so it is available anywhere one has Internet access. Clinicians can use the program to check the history of a new patient and to monitor on-going treatment. PMP is another tool clinicians can add to their toolkit for preventing and intervening against misuse and diversion of prescription drugs.
By attending this Lunch and Learn participants will be able to:
1) list at least three reasons for the need for prescription monitoring;
2) list at least one goal of the program;
3) describe how licensed health care professionals can sign up;
4) find out more about the program; and
5) describe how the program may effect their work.
Presenter: Daniel Eccher, MPH, has been coordinating Maine’s Prescription Monitoring Program since the spring of 2007. Prior to that, he served as the Epidemiologist for the Office of Substance Abuse. Hailing from central Maine, Mr. Eccher is dedicated to the prevention, intervention, and treatment of substance abuse statewide.
