State Prescription Drug Monitoring Program now uses patient history to help identify lethal drug combinations, prevent overdoses

The Department of Law Enforcement Narcotics Enforcement Division is changing the Prescription Drug Monitoring Program to help prevent drug overdoses and deaths from lethal drug combinations.

The new Prescription Drug Monitoring Program integrates a patient’s history of prescriptions for controlled substances into their electronic health record. This enhances the prescriber’s ability to identify the dangerous allocation of prescription drug quantities or combinations and reduces the risk of possible substance use disorder, according to the department.

The Narcotics Enforcement Division is providing this enhancement in partnership with its Prescription Drug Monitoring Program vendor, Bamboo Health.

“Advanced prescription monitoring improves the quality of care in our communities and combats the rise in drug overdoses,” said Michael Hartsock, Narcotics Enforcement Division acting administrator. “We are empowering our healthcare providers with the tools they need to make informed decisions and improve health outcomes for the people of Hawai‘i.”

Funding for the $346,000 annual contract with Bamboo Health to enhance the drug prescription monitoring program comes from a grant awarded to the Hawai‘i Department of Health by the CDC’s Overdose Data to Action in States initiative.

Healthcare providers and pharmacies are encouraged to take advantage by enrolling through Bamboo Health’s PMP Gateway.