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Apr 2024
Use the Texas Prescription Monitoring Program to Prevent Drug Interactions
Drug interactions are common in the primary care setting and may cause serious or life-threatening consequences. Identifying the most important and clinically relevant drug interactions is essential to patient safety and the Texas Prescription Monitoring Program (PMP) can help.
Keep Your Patients Safe
Conduct a comprehensive review of every medication your patient is currently taking. This includes medications prescribed by other physicians, over-the-counter medicines and any vitamins or supplements.
Minimize the number of drugs prescribed. For patient safety, prescribe the fewest drugs at the lowest doses for the shortest possible time. Be sure to consider nonpharmacologic options and re-evaluate the treatment plan on a regular basis.
Use caution when prescribing opioids and benzodiazepines concurrently. In 2021, nearly 14 percent of opioid overdose deaths also involved benzodiazepines. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Clinical Practice Guideline for Prescribing Opioids for Pain recommends using particular caution when prescribing benzodiazepines concurrently with opioids and considering whether risks outweigh benefits.
Check the Texas PMP for every patient, every time.
The Texas PMP’s comprehensive database presents a clear picture of a patient’s controlled substance prescription history, enabling you to identify and mitigate potential drug interactions.
Talk with Your Patients
Ensure that patients and their families or caregivers are fully aware of the risks of potential drug interactions and how to stay safe.
Take medications as prescribed. Explain the importance of taking each medicine exactly as prescribed. Inform your patient of any medications, foods or beverages they should avoid while taking certain medications.
Use just one pharmacy. Research shows that patients who fill prescriptions at multiple pharmacies display lower medication adherence and a greater likelihood of drug interactions.
Explain the risks of alcohol use. Make sure patients understand the risks of alcohol use with certain prescription drugs, from potential internal bleeding or difficulty breathing, to rendering a medication ineffective.
Discuss the signs. Warn patients about the signs of possible interactions for medicines they are taking and what to do in the case of an emergency
Safer Prescribing with the Texas PMP
The Texas PMP is more than just a regulatory requirement, it is also a patient care tool. By actively participating, you play a vital role in safeguarding your patients against the risks of drug interactions. Learn more at txpmp.org.