	Background

The diversion and abuse of prescription drugs are associated with  incalculable costs to society in terms of addiction, overdose, death, and  related criminal activities. State PDMPs

PDMPs are designed to facilitate the collection, analysis, and reporting of  information on the prescribing, dispensing, and use of prescription drugs  within a state. In  addition to helping law enforcement identify and prevent prescription drug  diversion, state programs may include education objectives to provide  information to physicians, pharmacies, and the public. Finally, the  cost of the program varies according to differences in these design and  operational factors. Program Objectives Include Education as Well as Law Enforcement

Although the primary objective of PDMPs is to assist law enforcement in  detecting and preventing drug diversion, states have also used the  programs for educational purposes. PDMPs have also  provided physicians with information on addiction treatment options for  patients identified as drug abusers or diverters. One challenge is the lack of awareness of the extent  to which prescription drug abuse and diversion is a significant public  health and law enforcement problem. States also face concerns about the  confidentiality of the information gathered by the PDMP, voiced by  patients who are legitimately using prescription drugs and by physicians  and pharmacists who are legitimately prescribing and dispensing them. Securing Program Funding Is a Critical Challenge

According to officials from the National Alliance for Model State Drug  Laws, the National Association of Drug Diversion Investigators, and the  DEA, securing program funding is a critical challenge faced by states that  choose to develop, maintain, or expand a PDMP. National Efforts Have Focused on Providing Guidance and Technical Assistance

Efforts at the national level to assist states in addressing illegal diversion  have focused on providing guidance and technical assistance. It recommended that PDMPs cover all schedules of  controlled substances, use some form of an electronic monitoring system,  safeguard the confidentiality of the prescription data collected, analyze the  data to provide information for law enforcement and medical  professionals, provide education to health professionals regarding the  monitoring system and pain management, and include an evaluation  component to assess its costs and benefits. Concluding Observations

Illegal diversion and abuse of prescription drugs and the associated  criminal activity are growing problems in many states.
What GAO Found

Prescription drug diversion is the channeling of pharmaceuticals for illegal purposes or abuse. According to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), increased prescription drug abuse and emergency room admissions, as well as the theft and illegal resale of prescription drugs, indicate that drug diversion is a growing problem associated with addiction, overdose, and death. All 15 state prescription drug monitoring programs (PDMP) collect information about the prescribing, dispensing, and use of prescription drugs and distribute it to medical practitioners, pharmacies, and state law enforcement and regulatory agencies. However, the programs differ in terms of objectives, design, and operations. In addition to helping law enforcement identify and prevent prescription drug diversion, program objectives also include education of the public, physicians, and pharmacists about the nature and extent of the problem, and medical treatment options for abusers of diverted drugs. The programs' designs vary by specific drugs covered and by the type of state agency in which they are housed. Some programs use the prescription data proactively to identify trends or patterns of use and to respond to law enforcement requests. Others use it only to respond to requests. States with PDMPs improve the timeliness of law enforcement and regulatory investigations. States considering establishing a PDMP, or expanding an existing one, face several challenges. These include educating the public and policymakers about prescription drug diversion and abuse and the benefits of a PDMP, responding to the concerns of physicians, patients, and pharmacists regarding the confidentiality of prescription information, and funding for program development and operations. National efforts to assist states in addressing illegal diversion have focused on providing guidance and technical assistance.