Peek-a-Boo –
AUGUST 23, 2019 – SAMHSA no longer believes this policy is advisable in light of the current public health crisis arising from opioid use, misuse, and abuse. In the past 10 years, there has been a substantial increase in prescription drug misuse, admissions to substance use facilities, emergency department visits and opioid-related deaths. The omission of OTP data from a PDMP can lead to potentially dangerous adverse events for patients who may receive duplicate or potentially contraindicated prescriptions as part of medical care outside of an OTP, thereby placing them at risk for adverse events, including possible overdose or even fatal drug interactions. In other words, under SAMHSA’s new guidance, the methadone treatment patients receive from clinics, formerly kept private, will now appear on controversial drug databases made available to all medical practitioners.
