New York state’s prescription drug monitoring program is now fully interoperable with 25 states and Washington, D.C, giving in-state providers access to the controlled substance history of about 150 million patients.

The PDMP program now allows in-state providers to select participating states within the platform for a fuller profile of the prescribing histories of their patients. Officials said it will help providers better detect and prevent doctor shopping.

New York became the first state to mandate e-prescribing for the majority of prescriptions in 2016, and officials said since enacted, the state has reduced doctor shopping incidents by more than 98 percent.

[Also: Senator proposes bill to incentivize states to share PDMP data with law enforcement]

Governor Andrew Cuomo made the announcement on Thursday, along with other state efforts to combat the opioid epidemic. These efforts included letting hospitals offer detoxification services without a certificate from the New York State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services.

The health department annually reviews its agreements with the states sharing PDMP data, along with re-interviewing state officials to ensure “continuity of applicable statutes and rules of access, data sharing and security.”

"Tragically, opioid addiction continues to take the lives of New Yorkers every single day, but this administration will not rest until the opioid epidemic is a thing of the past," Cuomo said in a statement.

"By removing unnecessary roadblocks to proper care and providing more resources and training with these additional measures, New York will continue to lead the nation in implementing innovative and effective solutions to save lives, prevent overdoses, and provide the treatment those suffering from addiction so desperately need," he added.

In addition to adding states to its PDMP interoperable efforts, Cuomo also announced the state’s Department of Health's Bureau of Narcotic Enforcement will be trained by the AIDS Institute to both carry and administer naloxone, used to reverse an opioid overdose.

Twitter: @JessieFDavis
Email the writer: jessica.davis@himssmedia.com