Indiana is launching a program to give providers the ability to see patient's controlled-substance prescription history more easily within their electronic health records.

Gov. Eric J. Holcomb said the state will implement a platform to support Indiana’s prescription drug monitoring program, known as INSPECT.

Already in place at two healthcare systems in the Hoosier State, Holcomb said a more comprehensive statewide rollout of the INSPECT platform will be a valuable tool in the fight against opioid abuse.

[Also: National e-prescribing bill gains support as Trump declares opioid state of emergency]

"INSPECT helps healthcare professionals around the state limit the number of controlled-substance prescriptions that contribute to our state’s devastating drug crisis," he said. "I commend Indiana’s Professional Licensing Agency, Board of Pharmacy and Appriss Health for their hard work and partnership to make a statewide platform for INSPECT possible."

The program, which keeps track of the prescribing and dispensing of controlled substances statewide, can be used by physicians and pharmacists to help prevent doctor shopping and fraudulent prescriptions. INSPECT data shows up directly in EHRs, rather than requiring providers to use separate website or portal to see patients' prescription histories.

The technology is developed by Louisville, Kentucky-based Appriss Health, which specializes in giving state government agencies controlled substance dispensing data and real-time clinical decision support for physicians, pharmacists and care teams.

The Indiana Professional Licensing Agency first partnered with Appriss Health this past year in an effort to make INSPECT data more effective and accessible for providers across the state, whose emergency departments have seen a 60 percent increase in opioid overdose visits in the past five years.

IPLA partnered with Kroger Pharmacy to integrate INSPECT data into its pharmacy software, and Evansville, Indiana-based Deaconess Midtown was the first hospital to add the data to its Epic EHR.

"Every practitioner and dispenser should have access to this program, as it can be a vital tool for addressing opioid abuse and misuse." said Deborah Frye, executive director of the Indiana Professional Licensing Agency. "The IPLA and the state of Indiana hope this new PDMP advancement will improve the health and safety of patients and serve as a resource to prescribers and dispensers in the coming years."

Twitter: @MikeMiliardHITN
Email the writer: mike.miliard@himssmedia.com