Question: A friend told me there is a list of everyone who gets opioids. Can the general public get access to that? I would like to look up a caregiver.
Answer: No. Access to Hawaii’s Prescription Drug Monitoring Program, an online system that tracks take-home prescriptions for certain controlled substances, is not available to the general public.
Database access is limited to authorized prescribers and dispensers (and their authorized delegates), law enforcement officers, prosecuting attorneys and regulatory agencies that oversee professional licensing, according to the state Department of Public Safety’s Narcotics Enforcement Division, which manages the program.
It is designed to help deter misuse of certain medications, including opioid painkillers, by keeping records that flag potential problems, such as a patient obtaining prescriptions for the same narcotic from multiple doctors around the same time.
According to a NED presentation to the health care industry:
>>A Hawaii prescriber shall not prescribe Schedule II-IV drugs without first reviewing the patient’s record on the PDMP.
>>A prescriber or pharmacy that supplies those controlled substances for a patient to take home must report that information to the PDMP. Data recorded includes the patient’s name, address, date of birth and ID number; the prescriber name, registration number and address; the pharmacy name, address and date of dispensing; and the drug name, dosage, quantity, morphine equivalent and payment type.
>>The requirements to review and report don’t apply if the PDMP system is down when the prescription is written or when the supply of medication is for three days or less in an emergency situation. Prescribers and dispensers who otherwise fail to comply don’t risk criminal penalties, but may face disciplinary action by their professional licensing authority.
>>By law, prescribers may run checks only on their own patients.
>>All actions, requests, searches and views within the PDMP system are recorded.
>>Misusing information from the database is a felony.
You can find links to more information about the program on NED’s website, at dps.hawaii.gov/ned/.
Your question prompted follow-ups about access for law enforcement and regulatory agencies, and about cybersecurity of patient records. Jared Redulla, NED administrator, addressed those topics:
“There is a strict procedure for outside agency law enforcement officers or regulatory agencies to run a check in the Hawaii Prescription Drug Monitoring Program. Officers must submit a written request to the administrator of the state Department of Public Safety, Narcotics Enforcement Division, specifically identifying the information that they seek. They must also explain that the information sought is in furtherance of an ongoing criminal or regulatory investigation or prosecution. Once a written request is received, the actual check is performed by NED employees and a response is provided to the requesting law enforcement officer or regulatory agency.
“The authorized regulatory agencies that may request a check of the PDMP include agencies such as the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, Regulated Industries Complaints Office (RICO); the Hawaii Board of Pharmacy; and the Hawaii Board of Medical Examiners. These agencies deal with issues surrounding professional vocational licenses.
“Hawaii’s PDMP is a highly secure, American Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) compliant system that meets or exceeds multiple industry standards for health information security.”
Write to “Kokua Line” at Honolulu Star-Advertiser, 7 Waterfront Plaza, Suite 210, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., Honolulu 96813; call 529-4773; fax 529-4750; or email kokualine@staradvertiser.com.
