Enacting legislation to create an effective controlled substances database (CSDB) is high on the Pennsylvania Medical Society’s (PAMED) list of priority issues to address when the new legislative session begins in January.
An effective CSDB, PAMED believes, would provide timely data to help physicians ensure that they are prescribing controlled substances appropriately and effectively to each patient.
At the same time, it would also help them decrease the risk of inappropriate, non-medical use of controlled substances and other medications, thereby reducing incidents of “doctor-shopping.”
Pennsylvania’s current database, which can only be accessed by the Office of the Attorney General and only collects information on Schedule II drugs, collects monthly data through a paper-based system.
To begin educating legislators and their staffs on the need for a better CSDB, on Oct. 7 Michael Ashburn, MD, chair of the Pennsylvania Pain Coalition (PPC) and a member of the PAMED Work Group on Pain Management, presented information to a public hearing of the state House Judiciary Committee.
Dr. Ashburn said that an effective CSDB should require timely reporting of all Schedule II-V drugs, include timely reporting of all controlled substances dispensed within the state, and provide rapid electronic access to the information by physicians or their authorized representative.
An effective system should also eliminate unfettered access to the CSDB by law enforcement, as well as ensure protection of patient privacy through appropriate security measures and apply severe penalties for unauthorized use.
Importantly, a CSDB should ensure that use by physicians and their authorized agents becomes an option to enhance safety and improve care and does not become a requirement or liability.
As legislation develops, PAMED will continue to collaborate with medical specialties, the PPC, and other stakeholders, as well as educate legislators on the basic attributes of an improved CSDB.