Regional News

Washington expands prescription data sharing to better inform prescribers, opioid crisis response

Press Release

May 30, 2019

Under a new data sharing agreement, the Washington State Department of Health is now sharing Prescription Monitoring Program (PMP) data with nearly all states, the District of Columbia and the Department of Defense.

“Sharing prescription data across state lines is critical for ensuring prescribers can access the information they need to provide the best possible patient care,” said Washington State Secretary of Health John Wiesman. “This expansion will help prevent inappropriate opioid prescribing and improve the data we use to monitor opioid misuse and abuse as we respond to the opioid crisis.”

Using prescription monitoring program data to inform prescribing is a best practice identified in the CDC Guideline for Prescribing Opioids for Chronic Pain. Practitioners can look for duplicate prescribing, possible misuse, drug interactions, and other potential concerns.

PMP data is shared nationally through two key hubs, RxCheck and PMP InterConnect. Washington was one of the first four states to connect with RxCheck in December 2018. Expanding to connect to the 51 jurisdictions participating in PMP InterConnect gives prescribers in Washington more options for checking prescribing data for patients and access to more information. Prescribers can connect to these hubs using secure web-access portals.

PMP data is protected health information and is safeguarded in its collection, storage and distribution. Learn more about how the program works on the department’s website.