California establishes database to fight prescription drug abuse

 

California Attorney General Jerry Brown has announced a plan to provide physicians and pharmacists nearly instantaneous Internet access to patient prescription drug histories to prevent doctor-shopping and other abuses of pharmaceuticals, the Los Angeles Times reported June 5.

 

Brown called the state’s current prescription monitoring a “horse-and-buggy” system and said significant improvements are necessary because it can take weeks for healthcare professionals to obtain patient drug use information, according to the article. Delays allow patients to obtain large quantities of drugs from multiple sources for sale or personal use.

 

The new database, known as the Controlled Substance Utilization Review and Evaluation System, contains 86 million entries pertaining to prescription drugs dispensed in California, the newspaper reported.

 

“If California puts this on real-time access, it will give doctors and pharmacies the technology they need to fight prescription drug abuse, which is burdening our healthcare system,” said Brown.

 

Click here to read the Los Angeles Times article.