The Use of a Statewide Prescription Drug Monitoring Program by Emergency Department Physicians.

BACKGROUND Little is known about how emergency physicians have used Wisconsin's Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (PDMP). OBJECTIVE To characterize emergency physician knowledge and utilization of the program and how it modifies practice. METHODS Online survey data were collected 1 year after program implementation. Descriptive statistics were generated and qualitative responses were grouped by content. RESULTS Of the 63 respondents, 64.1% had used the program. Lack of a DEA number and knowledge about how to sign up were the most common barriers to registration. Over 97% of program users found it useful for confirming suspicion of drug abuse and 90% wrote fewer prescriptions after program implementation. Time constraints and the difficult log-in process were common barriers to use. More users than nonusers stated that their workplace was supportive of program use. CONCLUSIONS Although barriers exist, PDMP utilization appears useful to emergency physicians and associated with modifications to patient management.