Pennsylvania Acting Secretary of Health Convenes First Achieving Better Care by Monitoring the All Prescriptions Program (ABC-MAP) Board Meeting

HARRISBURG, Pa., April 8, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Acting Secretary of Health Karen Murphy today convened the first meeting of the ABC-MAP Board, which was created under Act 191 of 2014. This board will help develop the policies and procedures that expand the state's prescription drug monitoring program as outlined by the ABC-MAP initiative.

"This group of professionals and healthcare experts will help create procedures to administer this cutting edge program," said Acting Secretary of Health Karen Murphy. "ABC-MAP has great potential for reducing the devastating consequences of opiate drug abuse and addiction that we are experiencing across the Commonwealth while at the same, ensuring these individuals have access to the help they need."

Today's meeting was a vital step in implementing this progressive and effective new enterprise.  

The Board's members are as follows:

• Acting Secretary of Health Dr. Karen Murphy
• Acting Physician General Dr. Rachel Levine
• Acting Secretary of the Department of Human Services Ted Dallas
• Acting Secretary of the Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs Gary Tennis
• Acting Insurance Commissioner Teresa Miller
• Acting Aging Secretary Teresa Osborne
• Acting State Police Commissioner Marcus Browne
• Attorney General Kathleen Kane
• Acting Secretary of State Pedro Cortes

At the meeting, the Board reviewed its responsibilities, which include:

• Securing a vendor for the electronic monitoring system
• Appointing an advisory group
• Creating a notice for prescribers and dispensers to give to patients
• Developing program administrative policies
• Reporting Requirements to the General Assembly

Until now neither physicians nor dispensers had access to information that would help them address the growing negative effects of non-monitored scheduled drugs on the health and safety of Pennsylvanians. ABC-MAP will rectify this and give healthcare professionals the ability to address potentially fatal drug abuse and provide improved and streamlined care to their patients.

The expansion of the prescription drug monitoring program will also aid regulatory and law enforcement agencies in detecting and preventing fraud and abuse. Making sure prescription drugs are not being overprescribed is a necessary first step in curtailing drug addiction and also curbing the supply of excess drugs that can be used illicitly. 

The Board will reconvene in May.

For more information, visit the Department of Health website at www.health.pa.gov.

Media contact:   Amy Worden, DOH, 717-787-1783   

SOURCE Pennsylvania Department of Health

Related Links

http://www.health.pa.gov

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