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Jul 2024
How Physicians Like You Use the Texas PMP to Prevent Prescription Drug Misuse and Overdose
In March 2020, the Texas Legislature mandated that physicians check the Texas Prescription Monitoring Program (PMP) before prescribing opioids, benzodiazepines, barbiturates or carisoprodol. Since then, physicians like you have successfully integrated it into their daily workflows, helping to improve communication and patient-centered care by:
- Screening new patients. Look up a new patient’s controlled substance prescription history to confirm or supplement information provided by them or their medical records.
- Assessing risk for drug interactions or overdose. Check Texas PMP data to ensure that a patient is not receiving opioid dosages or combinations (e.g., opioids combined with benzodiazepines) from other prescribers that may create a high risk for overdose.
- Starting a conversation about concerning PMP data. Highlight potential interaction risks from multiple prescriptions or patterns that indicate possible substance misuse. For help navigating sensitive conversations, visit txpmp.org/resources for evidence-based health communication guidelines and real-life talking points.
- Guiding opioid therapy for chronic pain. Longterm opioid use may pose a risk of misuse and overdose. Check the Texas PMP when starting opioid therapy for chronic pain, as well as periodically throughout the course of treatment.
- Identifying non-adherence. Use Texas PMP data to determine if a patient has failed to fill a prescription that you have prescribed. If so, you can initiate a conversation about why the patient is not taking the medication as indicated.
- Collaborating with pharmacists to ensure patient safety. Pharmacists often contact prescribers when they have identified possible interaction risks from multiple prescriptions or patterns that indicate possible substance misuse.
Safer Prescribing with the Texas PMP
The Texas PMP is more than just a regulatory requirement, it is also a patient care tool. By checking the Texas PMP for every patient, every time, you play a vital role in keeping your patients safe. Learn more at txpmp.org.