Indian Health Service Director Mary Smith, right, during a trip to the Great Plains Area in April 2016. Photo by Department of Health and Human Services / Twitter
Mary Smith, the leader of the Indian Health Service, explains a new policy aimed at curbing prescription drug abuse in Indian Country:
Effective immediately, the Indian Health Service will require healthcare providers working in IHS federal-government-operated facilities, including doctors, pharmacists, nurse practitioners and other providers who prescribe opioids, to check state Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (PDMP) databases prior to prescribing and dispensing opioids for pain treatment—one of the first such actions by any federal agency involved in direct medical care. IHS is continuing its efforts to combat prescription drug abuse in American Indian and Alaska Native communities by implementing this policy. Checking a PDMP before prescribing helps to improve appropriate pain management care, identify patients who may have an opioid abuse problem and prevent diversion of drugs. PDMPs are state-based, electronic databases that collect data on controlled medications dispensed by registered pharmacies operating within the state. This policy formalizes the IHS practice of ensuring safe and appropriate prescribing practices for prescription medications, including opioids, for more than 1,200 IHS prescribers.Get the Story:
Mary Smith: IHS Implements Groundbreaking New Policy Regarding Opioid Prescribing (IHS Blog 7/6) Relevant Documents:
Indian Health Service Manual: State Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs | White House Fact Sheet; Obama Administration Takes More Actions to Address the Prescription Opioid and Heroin Epidemic
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