The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted every facet of our society. Along with businesses and organizations, the pandemic has also forced federal, state, and local governments to find new ways to provide vital services. This podcast will explore the impact the pandemic is having on the Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs. PDMPs are state government programs that collect information about the prescribing and dispensing of controlled substance medications. Even though controlled substances are effective in the treatment of certain medical conditions, they also have the potential to be misused or abused. PDMPs are tools used by prescribers and dispensers to ensure proper use of these medications and to enhance patient care. There are 54 PDMPs nationally, including programs in the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands.

This podcast will provide the listener with an overview of how the pandemic has affected the operations of a few PDMPs, and what PDMP administrators are doing to keep this valuable tool operating for healthcare providers and their patients. We will be talking to four PDMP administrators and explore with them the operational adjustments made in response to the pandemic, changes in reporting of prescription information, any indication of any changes in misuse or abuse of prescription medications, review any changes in the prescribing or dispensing patterns resulting from the pandemic, and what the impact the COVID-19 pandemic may have on future budgets and operations of PDMPs.

A transcript of the podcast is available: Impact of Covid-19 on PDMPs Transcript