FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE :     Tuesday, February 10, 2015
CONTACT:  Sara Rabern (605)773-3215   

 
Prescription Drug Monitoring Program 2014 Statistics
    

PIERRE, S.D.-  The State of South Dakota’s Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (PDMP) has been online for three years and voluntary participation by physicians and pharmacists continues to increase.  The PDMP affords physician and pharmacist the opportunity to voluntarily access the prescription repository in order to have available additional medical history.

 “The monitoring program demonstrates that prescription drug usage and the potential for abuse continues to be a concern in South Dakota,” said Jackley. “Pharmacists and physicians voluntarily participation is helping to prevent and reduce prescription abuses and enhance public health and safety.”

The PDMP was passed into law during the 2010 legislative session. The purpose of this program was to improve patient care by providing physicians and pharmacists with a controlled substance dispensing history for their patients.

 Only physicians that have a current patient relationship or new appointment scheduled may access the repository. Law enforcement does not have direct access to the repository and must go through an application process to receive access. Once access is approved, those officers can request data for investigatory purposes. In 2014, law enforcement requested 499 profiles. The Division of Criminal Investigation saw 18% of their drug investigations as diversion type cases in 2014.

 The South Dakota Board of Pharmacy encourages their members to make consulting the repository a priority and have been proactive in training individuals statewide on the benefits of the PDMP.

Below is the list of the 10 most prescribed controlled substances in 2014:

In addition to the PDMP, several law enforcement agencies across the state have helped reduce drug diversion by offering prescription drug take-back drop off locations. Individuals who have accumulated unwanted, unused prescription drugs now have options to safely dispose of those medications.

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