How Can Dentists Help Curb the Opioid Crisis in Indiana?

Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs (PDMPs) are state-run electronic databases used to track the prescribing and dispensing of controlled prescription drugs to patients. PDMPs continue to be among the most promising state-level interventions to improve opioid prescribing, inform clinical practice, and protect patients at risk.¹

[su_pullquote align=”right”]Florida established their PDMP in 2010, and in 2012 saw more than 50% decrease in oxycodone overdose deaths.[/su_pullquote]PDMPs are proving successful across the country. For instance, Florida established their PDMP in 2010, and in 2012 saw more than 50% decrease in oxycodone overdose deaths.² New York began requiring prescribers to check the state’s PDMP prior to prescribing opioids and in 2013 saw a 75% decrease in patients seeing multiple prescribers for the same drugs.³

Indiana’s PDMP, the Indiana Scheduled Prescription Electronic Collection and Tracking Program (INSPECT) is administered by the Indiana Board of Pharmacy. An INSPECT report summarizes the controlled substances a patient has been prescribed, the practitioner who prescribed them and the dispensing pharmacy where the patient obtained them. As of January 1, 2016, the program moved to 24-hour reporting, providing nearly real-time data.⁴ As stipulated by IC 35-48-7-8.1, licensed dispensers throughout Indiana are required to submit controlled substance prescription data to INSPECT every twenty-hour (24) hours.⁵ The information is shared with at least 20 states.

Any practitioner licensed to prescribe or dispense controlled substances may establish an INSPECT account and request a patient prescription history report. An INSPECT report summarizes:

• the controlled substances a patient has been prescribed,
• the practitioner who prescribed them and
• the dispensing pharmacy where the patient obtained them.5

A practitioner may include an INSPECT report in a patient’s file.

Practitioners may only request reports on patients for whom they are providing treatment or evaluating the need for treatment, including patients who have made initial appointments, and the patient history report must be used only for the purpose of making treatment decisions. Practitioners may not request a report on staff members, prospective employees, or anyone else for whom there is no chart or patient record available.

In a survey of Indiana’s qualified prescribers, 71% reported using INSPECT, and over 50% of users reported resulting changes in their prescribing practices.6 INSPECT has been proving successful in curbing the opioid crisis in Indiana, and the State continues to enhance the program. In September, at the direction of Governor Pence, a pilot program was initiated to allow for the integration of INSPECT data with hospital patient records.7

[su_pullquote align=”right”]A practitioner must have a valid CSR license and an individual DEA number to be eligible for access to the INSPECT WebCenter.[/su_pullquote]To register for an INSPECT account visit https://extranet.pla.in.gov/pmpwebcenter/NewRegistration.aspx. A practitioner must have a valid CSR license and an individual DEA number to be eligible for access to the INSPECT WebCenter. To become an authorized INSPECT user, you must first apply for and obtain approval and view the online training. The registration materials are available on the login page. Simply click on the “Not a User? Register to become a User” tab. After registering, you will be contacted with information on the next available day.

For additional information, visit http://www.in.gov/pla/inspect/.

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About the Author

Ms Karen Scharf is the Indiana Dental Association Director of Communications. She can be reached at karen@indental.org

References

1. “Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs (PDMPs)” Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Page last updated: March 23, 2016. Available at: https://www.cdc.gov/drugoverdose/pdmp/index.html
2. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Decline in Drug Overdose Deaths After State Policy Changes — Florida, 2010–2012. MMWR 2014; 63(26);569-574.
3. PDMP Center of Excellence at Brandeis University. Mandating PDMP participation by medical providers: current status and experience in selected states [PDF File], 2014. Available from: http://www.pdmpexcellence.org/sites/all/pdfs/COE%20briefing%20on%20mandates%20revised_a.pdf
4. http://www.in.gov/pla/inspect/2338.htm
5. http://www.in.gov/pla/inspect/2371.htm
6. http://www.addiction-intervention.com/addiction/prescriptiondrugabuse/indianas-drug-monitoring-program-results-in-fewer-prescriptions-for-scheduled-meds/
7. http://www.wbiw.com/state/archive/2016/09/governor-pence-directs-state-agencies-to-act-on-recommendations-from-meeting-of-governors-task-force.php
8. “HHS Research on Pain Treatment and Opioid Misuse and Overdoes – Translating Service into Action”. US Department of Health and Human Services. July, 2016.