Doctors and pharmacists will get funding to integrate their records with a drug-monitoring system to fight opioid abuse thanks to a new federal grant, Gov. Ned Lamont announced this week.
A $1.3 million grant from the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services will be available to state providers to pay for integration with the Prescription Monitoring Program (PMP) Gateway, a tracking system.
With integration, providers can check patient records before prescribing opioids and other controlled substances with a single login, saving time.
About 75% of healthcare providers in Connecticut currently have PMP integration and performed more than 19.7 million searches in 2020 alone, according to state records. The new funding will help the remaining providers access the system at reduced cost.
“By offering increased PMP Gateway access, we are able to directly provide prescribers an even easier way to access and report data and develop care plans for their patients,” Consumer Protection Commissioner Michelle Seagull said.
A private company, Appriss Health, provides the PMP Gateway, and state officials lauded the new program as an example of private-public partnership to fight opioid abuse.
“Today’s announcement is a great example of the kind of behind the scenes work between government and private sector that can save lives and help us combat the opioid epidemic,” Hartford Mayor Luke Bronin said.
A total of 1,359 confirmed drug overdose deaths were reported in Connecticut in 2020, a 13.3% increase in drug overdose deaths compared to 2019 — a year which saw an 18% jump in deaths compared to 2018, according to the state Department of Public Health.
