Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services Testifies Before U.S. Senate Health Committee on the Wisconsin Prescription Drug Monitoring Program

Madison, WI – This morning the Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services’ (DSPS) Managing Director of the Wisconsin Prescription Drug Monitoring Program, Andrea Magermans, testified before the United States Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) on the features, impact, and effectiveness of the Wisconsin Enhanced Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (WI ePDMP).

“We are proud to administer a program that has proven to be an effective tool in the fight against the opioid epidemic,” said DSPS Secretary Laura Gutiérrez. “Today, we welcome the opportunity to share with our partners in Washington, what makes Wisconsin a national leader in Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs.”

Magermans’ testimony highlighted Wisconsin’s unique approach to involving stakeholders and subject matter experts in the development of the WI ePDMP, which has resulted in an effective clinical tool that provides actionable data to prescribers. Key features include a redesigned patient history report that brings the most relevant information about a patient’s controlled substance prescription history to the immediate attention of healthcare users. Patient histories include law enforcement alerts submitted to the WI ePDMP through an interdisciplinary communications tool that allows law enforcement to report suspected opioid-related overdose events, suspected violations of the Controlled Substances Act involving prescription drugs, and stolen controlled substance prescription incidents.

The WI ePDMP also includes a prescribing assessment tool that allows prescribers to evaluate their own prescribing practices in relation to other prescribers in their specialty through the Prescriber Metrics Report.

“The knowledge gained by prescribers through these self-assessment functionalities empowers them to maintain safe prescribing practices,” said Magermans.

Most recently, DSPS launched the WI ePDMP Public Statistics Dashboard, adding a public health component to the program by making dispensing, utilization, and law enforcement data readily available to the public with easy-to-use, interactive data visualizations. Notably, between April 1 and June 30 of this year, Wisconsin saw 14.1% decrease in opioid prescriptions dispensed as compared to the first quarter of 2016. For more information, visit pdmp.wi.gov/statistics.

Click here for a copy of Magermans’ full testimony.

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. It has not been verified for its accuracy or completeness.