PDMPs

The American Psychiatric Association (APA) has joined the American Medical Association (AMA) and other medical organizations to stem the growing epidemic of opioid abuse. The federal government, as well as some states, most notably Massachusetts, has embarked on campaigns to stop the epidemic, which is being blamed for killing dozens of people a day.

The AMA Task Force to Reduce Opioid Abuse includes 27 physician organizations, including the APA, the AMA, the American Osteopathic Association, the American Dental Association and 17 specialty and seven state medical societies. Task force members will work to identify the “best practices” against opioid abuse.

Medscape reports that “An initial focus for the task force is to get physicians to register for and use state-based prescription drug monitoring programs (PDMPs), which can help in deciding whether to prescribe an opioid. ‘When used effectively, PDMPs can help assess your patient’s prescription history and immediately determine whether your patients have received prescriptions from other prescribers and dispensers, including those from other states,’  says the task force web page.