Starting January 2012, Evergreen Treatment Services (ETS) will be utilizing the Washington State Prescription Monitoring Program (PMP) to ensure safe and effective outpatient addiction treatment. ETS will be able to monitor your prescriptions while you receive methadone treatment here.
What is Prescription Review?
Prescription Review is a secure online database that will be used across Washington State to improve public health. All practitioners are able to review their patient’s health information before they prescribe or dispense drugs. All clinics and provider offices will be connected to this centralized system. It will allow them to communicate with one another and look for duplicate prescribing, possible misuse, drug interactions, and other potential concerns.
Patient data from ETS is not submitted to this system so that your participation in methadone treatment is not available information to other medical providers outside of ETS.
Who can access the data?
Physicians, pharmacists, dentists, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, and other licensed clinicians and professionals authorized by the Washington State Department of Health. The system is secure to make sure confidential information is protected.
Is this new?
It’s a new program for Washington, but not new for the country. Most states already have this program, including our neighbors in Idaho and Oregon.
What drugs are covered?
At this time, this program only covers controlled substances (drugs that could potentially be dangerous and addictive). This includes benzos, stimulants, and pain relievers.
What is ETS going to do with Prescription Review?
Medical staff will look up in the secure on-line database information about current controlled substances prescribed to every patient who is in treatment at ETS. To repeat, ETS staff are not going to be putting any patient information into that database.
If we find out that you are being prescribed controlled substances that you have not registered with ETS, your treatment status will be reviewed by the medical and counseling staff. Further action will be determined after that review.
If we find out that you are being prescribed methadone that you have not registered with ETS you will be discharged from treatment. This action is in accordance with the terms of the Preliminary Treatment Contract you signed at your admission to treatment. You were warned that “double dosing” would result in the immediate termination of your treatment.
What should you do now?
Register at ETS all of your prescriptions for controlled substances and all of your other prescriptions.
For more information visit the Prescription Monitoring Program (PMP) website at:
