SAMHSA Announces PMP Funding Opportunity

July 5, 2012 2:45 pm Topics: Prescription drug abuse and Prescription monitoring program

Targeting prescription drug abuse, a new Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) program will enable states to integrate prescription monitoring programs (PMPs) into electronic health records and other health information technology systems. SAMHSA announced that the Prescription Drug Monitoring Integration and Interoperability Expansion Grant program, along with a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention program evaluation, will be funded with $4 million from the Prevention and Public Health Fund. The program goals are to expand and enhance the use of PMPs by facilitating the secure and timely transmission of prescription drug information to prescribers, dispensers, and other entities. Grant funds will also be used by states to allow for modification of their systems to expand interoperability. The funding opportunity announcement can be accessed in the Grant Announcement section of the SAMHSA Web site (scroll to RFA# TI-12-011) and the deadline for applications is July 31, 2012. Such funding could potentially be used by NABP PMP InterConnect^SM participants to leverage existing connections similar to the pilot taking place in Indiana as part of the Enhancing Access to PDMPs Project.