“Pennsylvania physicians who are licensed, registered, or otherwise lawfully authorized to prescribe controlled substances, other drugs or devices in the course of professional practice or research in this Commonwealth are required to register in the state’s new prescription drug monitoring program (PDMP). The Department of Health’s (DOH) PDMP webpage contains more information, including a link to register.
“According to the law, once registered, prescribers shall query the system for each patient the first time the patient is prescribed a controlled substance by the prescriber for purposes of establishing a baseline and a thorough medical record.
“A prescriber shall also query the system if he or she believes or has reason to believe, using sound clinical judgment, that a patient may be abusing or diverting drugs.
“Beginning Jan. 1, 2017, prescribers will also be required to query the system each time a patient is prescribed an opioid drug product or benzodiazepine by the prescriber.”
