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Military Health System Prescription Drug Monitoring Program Procedures

Overview

The misuse, diversion, and abuse of opioids and other controlled substances continues to result in addiction and deaths across the United States. An important tool in fighting this epidemic has been the implementation and use of Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs (PDMPs).

PDMPs track controlled substance prescription information to include: drug name and strength, quantity, prescriber, pharmacy, and payment type. The purpose of these programs is to protect public health and safety, and assist providers and pharmacists in identifying potential prescription medication abuse, and aid in preventing drug diversion.

The Military Health System (MHS) PDMP is an electronic database that collects prescription data on controlled medications dispensed to TRICARE beneficiaries within the MHS.

The goal of the MHS PDMP is to ensure a patient's complete controlled substance medication history is available to a prescriber or pharmacist regardless of where the medication is prescribed or dispensed (direct or purchased/civilian care) or how the medication was paid for (via insurance, credit or cash).

In accordance with 10 USC 1074(g), the MHS PDMP enhances the management of prescribing opioids and supports providers in:

  • Accessing the legitimate medical use of prescribed controlled medications;
  • Identifying, deterring, or preventing drug abuse and diversion; and
  • Recognizing patients who may be addicted to prescribed medications and offer intervention and treatment.

Background

The Defense Health Agency (DHA) recognizes the need to share dispensing information of controlled substance at military pharmacies with civilian providers to ensure that a patient's complete controlled substance medication history is available to a prescriber or pharmacist regardless of where or how the patient has had the prescription filled.

In January 2019, the MHS entered an agreement with the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP) to establish a connection with their Prescription Monitoring Program (PMP) Interconnect® System, which allows for the transfer of prescription data across state lines. The MHS PDMP is the first non-state or territory PDMP permitted to become a part of NABP's Interconnect® System.

The DHA is committed to building a PDMP that connects with every state or territory. Each state or territory can decide if they only want to access (one-way sharing) or share (bi-directional sharing) their prescription data with the MHS PDMP.

The MHS PDMP is administered by the current TRICARE Pharmacy contractor, Express Scripts, Inc. They are responsible to validate and register credentialed MHS providers and pharmacists, as well as their delegates. They are also responsible to update the MHS PDMP data and ensure data integrity.

Registration

Registration is required for all MHS providers and pharmacists.

MHS providers and pharmacists will register with the required information:

  1. Government email (.mil or .gov)
  2. NPI number
  3. License number (or National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants for non-state licensed Physician Assistants)
  4. State of licensure (noted as home state when registering for the MHS PDMP)

Register for MHS PDMP

Other registration requests:

  1. MHS PDMP registration is not open to military law enforcement, public health officials or veterinarians.
  2. Requests for MHS PDMP information may be submitted to the MHS PDMP Administrator for further processing in conjunction with the DHA legal department.

User Registration Process Tutorial

Heat Map


Frequently Asked Questions

Questions and Answers about the Prescription Drug Monitoring Program

Q2:

What can I do as a MHS PDMP user?

A:
  • View your patient's controlled substance prescription history by submitting a Patient Request
  • Select from a broad list of states to include prescriptions paid with cash or processed under other health insurance
  • Approve a delegate to assist with review of your patient reports
  • Use the bulk patient report function to expedite review
  • View your prescribed controlled substance history using your NPI within the MyRx report function
  • Access the MHS User Guide for help navigating the system; under Menu, click AWARxE User Guide.
Q3:

Who do I contact with PDMP registration and utilization questions?

A:

Contact the Express-Scripts Prescription Drug Monitoring team at MHSPMP@Express-Scripts.com.

Q4:

Who do I contact with technical issues?

A:

For technical support, contact 1-833-275-2050 or submit a new request.

Q5:

Am I required to utilize the MHS PDMP, and if so, how often?

A:

The DHA Pharmacy Operations Division (POD), in conjunction with the Pain Management Workgroup, is developing a DHA Interim Policy Memorandum (IPM) which will become a DHA Procedure Instruction (DHA-PI).  Until the DHA IPM is published, providers and pharmacists are encouraged to do what is best for their patients.

Q6:

What do I do if the state my MTF is in is not sharing with the MHS PDMP?

A:

Guidance will be provided in the DHA IPM or DHA-PI.  If permissible, MHS providers and pharmacists should register with the state the MTF is located.

Q7:

Where can I find the DHA IPM or DHA-PI?

A:

All DHA publications can be found in the DHA Publications Library.

Q8:

When I register for my MHS PDMP account it asks for my home state, what should I enter for this field?

A:

When registering for your MHS PDMP account please enter the state of your active professional license in the "Home State" field.

Q9:

How is the prescription data of TRICARE beneficiaries protected within the MHS PDMP?

A:

The MHS PDMP is a secure, confidential, and data encrypted database that requires user authentication prior to granting access. Similar to other healthcare data, prescription data within the MHS PDMP is subject to the Health Information Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and is only accessed by authorized users in the course of their professional duties.  Furthermore, it complies with the federal standards set by NIST 800-53.

Q10:

How does the MHS PDMP differ from PMP?

A:

The MHS PDMP is a web-based search tool, similar to state PDMPs.  The Prescription Monitor Program is a tool internal to the military health system used to identify (and if necessary restrict) patients who potentially have "drug seeking behavior".  Monthly and quarterly PMP reports are provided by the TRICARE Pharmacy contractor to specified MTF points of contact, as well as Managed Care Support Contractors, in accordance with the TRICARE Operations Manual.

Q11:

When did the MHS PDMP begin sharing data?

A:

The MHS PDMP began pushing out data on Dec. 20, 2018.  On Jan. 16, 2019, Virginia became the first state to share its data with the MHS.

Q12:

What states are currently sharing their data?

A:

Refer to the current status sharing map above.

Q13:

Who will have access to the prescription data within the MHS PDMP?

A:

Civilian providers who practice in states that have agreements with the Department of Defense will be able to access MHS PDMP data as long as they’re authorized in their state.

Q14:

As a health care provider, how do I validate information I may have a question on, that is within the PDMP?

A:

Health care providers and pharmacists will need to contact the healthcare provider who issued the prescription of question, as noted within the PDMP.

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Last Updated: March 01, 2023
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