Michigan Adopts Novel Prescription Drug Monitoring System

Appriss Health recently announced a novel partnership with the state of Michigan to implement a new program that seeks to prevent prescription drug misuse. Under the agreement, the state will replace their current prescription monitoring program (PMP) with PMP AWARxE, created by Appriss.

The goal of implementing the new PMP is to help identify and end prescription drug abuse in the state, according to a press release from Appriss. This is part of a larger initiative, created by Governor Rick Snyder, included in the Prescription Drug & Opioid Task Force.

A report from the Task Force found that more than 21 million prescriptions for controlled substances were written in 2014, with 11 million prescribing schedule II drugs that are highly susceptible to misuse. Additionally, the rate of overdoses increased 4-fold from 1999 to 2014, which shows that there are further actions the state must take, according to the report.

In an effort to prevent additional prescription drug-related deaths, Michigan will replace their PMP system to better monitor prescriptions, and deter abuse.

The PMP AWARxE will replace the current program, Michigan Automated Prescription Systems (MAPS), and allow inter-state data sharing via an online portal. Data from PMP AWARxE will also be integrated with electronic health records and pharmacy dispensing systems.

"The initial focus will be on replacing the current MAPS with Appriss Health's PMP AWARxE solution. The replacement is long overdue, and we are excited about moving to a platform that will provide a much more robust user experience and functionality for our prescribers and pharmacists," said Shelly Edgerton, director of the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs. "With the new platform in place, we can focus our attention on enabling integration of MAPS data within the clinician's workflow. Making PMP data readily available at the point-of-care reduces the time it takes to access MAPS and allows clinicians to spend additional time with their patients."

PMPs track the distribution of prescription opioids, such as codeine, hydrocodone, or morphine, and other drugs that are likely to be misused. PMP AWARxE involves mandatory pharmacy reporting, and offers accessibility to data across different states, according to the press release.

Due to the growing number of Americans with opioid use disorder, many states have chosen to implement PMPs to prevent patients from abusing prescription drugs.

Thus far, more than 30 other states, including Michigan, have implemented a prescription monitoring platform from Appriss Health, according to the press release.

"The entire country has been seeing a significant increase in opioid addiction and opioid overdose-related deaths," said Rob Cohen, president of Appriss Health. "Governor Snyder has taken a leadership stance to tackle the opioid epidemic head-on, and Appriss Health is honored to partner with Michigan to help further his initiatives."