In a position paper outlining strategies for curbing the misuse of prescription pain medications, the American Academy of Family Physicians voiced its support for electronic prescription drug monitoring programs, Modern Physician reports.
The group also expressed support for interstate exchange of prescription drug registry information.
Support for Rx Drug Monitoring Programs
A spokesperson for the group said that supporting electronic prescription drug monitoring programs has been AAFP's official policy for about a year. The spokesperson noted that AAFP's support specifically is geared toward programs developed under the National All Schedules Prescription Electronic Reporting Act of 2005.
Related Journal Article
The group also addressed the issue in an article published in the August edition of the American Family Physician Journal.
The article stated, "There should be a comprehensive evaluation for the cause of pain, assessment for risk of opioid complications (including misuse and addiction) and a detailed treatment history, including a review of medical records and data from the state prescription monitoring program" (Robeznieks, Modern Physician, 8/3).