The Georgia Academy of Family Physicians want to remind GAFP members that if you have a DEA number – it is mandatory that you register with the Prescription Drug Monitoring Program. The deadline has passed – so please register today!
The Georgia Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (PDMP) is an electronic database used to monitor the prescribing and dispensing of controlled substances. The PDMP can help eliminate duplicative prescribing and overprescribing of controlled substances and provide a prescriber or pharmacist with critical information regarding a patient’s controlled substance prescription history and protect patients at risk of abuse.
The deadline for prescribers to register in PDMP was Jan. 1, 2018. Please see the letter below for an important message from Commissioner Pat O’Neal. Commissioner O’Neal’s PDMP letter
Georgia House Bill 249
During the 2017 legislative session, the Georgia General Assembly passed House Bill 249 which provided for several changes to the PDMP:
- Effective July 1, 2017, dispensers will be required to enter prescription information for Schedule II, III, IV, V controlled substances within 24 hours. This will provide prescribers more efficient access to information with less wait time as they make the best clinical decisions possible for their patients.
- All prescribers will be required to register in the PDMP by Jan. 1, 2018. Currently only about 10 percent of prescribers in Georgia are registered in the PDMP. Prescribers already registered DO NOT need to re-register.
- Beginning July 1, 2018, prescribers will be required to check PDMP before prescribing opiates or cocaine derivatives in Schedule II drugs or benzodiazepines. (Prescribers are currently encouraged to check the PDMP but are not yet required to do so.)
Register in PDMP
To register in PDMP, go to georgia.pmpaware.net/login. You will need:
- Your name and business address
- Primary phone number
- Last 4 digits of SSN
- DEA number
- NPI number
- Professional license number and type
- Health care specialty
Under the new law prescribers and dispensers are allowed to register two delegates (staff without a DEA number) per shift or rotation to check the PDMP and enter prescription information. However, to ensure prescribers and dispensers are all registered by their mandated date, DPH will register new users in two phases. In the first phase, DPH will ensure all prescribers are registered by Jan. 1, 2018, and in the second phase, DPH will allow new delegates to register.
Georgia PDMP Understanding Your Responsibilities Delegate Training
Help Using PDMP
If you have any questions about the PDMP or registering, please send an email to pdmpsupport@dph.ga.gov or call 404-463-1517.
REGISTERING IN PDMP FAQ
- Who is required to register in the Georgia PDMP?
Individuals with a DEA number must register in the PDMP including: physicians, physician assistants, pharmacists, licensed pharmacist delegates, dentists, optometrists, podiatrists, nurses with prescriptive authority, medical residents and interns with prescriptive authority.
- Where do I go to register in the Georgia PDMP?
The URL for registration is https://dph.georgia.gov/pdmp.
- What information do I need to register in the Georgia PDMP?
Go to https://georgia.pmpaware.net/login and enter your request for an account. You will need your business address, email address, last 4 digits of your SSN, DEA number, NPI number, professional license number and type, primary phone number and health care specialty.
- Why are physicians and health care providers required to register in the Georgia PDMP?
The PDMP will give you specific information on your patients’ history of filled prescriptions over the last two years. By using the PDMP, physicians can reduce duplicative prescribing and overprescribing of controlled substances.
I do not practice or live in Georgia but see Georgia residents as patients. Am I required to register in the Georgia PDMP?
No.
- Do veterinarians have to register in the Georgia PDMP?
No.
- I live near the state line and practice in two. Is it necessary to have a different DEA number for each state?
Yes, if you prescribe controlled substances in two states. Here is what the DEA says:
“DEA individual practitioner registrations are based on a state license to practice medicine and prescribe controlled substances. DEA relies on state licensing boards to determine that practitioners are qualified to dispense, prescribe or administer controlled substances and to determine what level of authority practitioners have, that is, what schedules they may dispense, prescribe or administer. State authority to conduct the above-referenced activities only confers rights and privileges within the issuing state; consequently, the DEA registration based on a state license cannot authorize controlled substance dispensing outside the state.
- Is a Veterans Affairs or military prescriber required to check the Georgia PDMP?
A prescriber who is a federal employee practicing on federal property is not required to register for the PDMP or to check it before writing a prescription. However, they are eligible to do so, and the Georgia Department of Public Health encourages prescribers to register and use the PDMP for their Georgia patients.
- What if health care practitioners choose to ignore the requirements of the law?
Failure to comply with the requirements of the law may subject a health care practitioner to discipline by their licensing board.
USING THE GEORGIA PDMP
- When am I required by law to begin using the Georgia PDMP?
You can begin using the system as soon as your account is activated by Georgia PDMP. Beginning July 1, 2018, you will be required to check the PDMP before prescribing some Schedule II drugs or benzodiazepines
- When is a prescriber required to check the Georgia PDMP?
A prescriber is required to check the PDMP before writing a prescription for the first time for:
- Benzodiazepines
- Opiate drugs or cocaine derivatives listed in Schedule II
Thereafter, if the prescription continues, the prescriber should check the PDMP at least every 90 days.
The prescriber is not required to check the PDMP in these four situations:
- If the prescription is for no more than a three-day supply and no more than 26 pills
- If the patient is in a health care facility, such as a hospital, nursing home, intermediate care home, personal care home or hospice, which provides patient care and prescriptions to be administered to the patient on the premises
- If the patient has had outpatient surgery at a hospital or ambulatory surgical center and the prescription is for no more than a 10-day supply and no more than 40 pills
- If the patient is receiving treatment for cancer
- Are prescribers required to check the Georgia PDMP before writing prescriptions for ANY Schedule II drugs?
No. Prescribers are only required to check the PDMP before writing a prescription for a benzodiazipine or one of the opiate drugs listed in Schedule II. Other Schedule II drugs do not require checking the PDMP before prescribing.
- Where can I find a complete list of drugs that require checking the Georgia PDMP?
A list of drugs that require checking PDMP can be found here.
- Can I see prescriptions that have been dispensed under my DEA number?
Yes, log in to https://georgia.pmpaware.net/login. Click on RxSearch, then click on MyRx. It will give you parameters to search for prescriptions for Schedule II, III, IV, V drugs and benzodiazepines.
- Does the Georgia PDMP offer a way for me to compare my controlled substances prescribing against that of other practitioners?
No.
- How can I review prescriptions written by my delegates?
Log in to https://georgia.pmpaware.net/login.From the home screen, click on RxSearch, then click on MyRx and enter your delegate’s DEA number.
- How do I run a report to view the prescription history of my patient?
Once you are logged in to the Georgia PDMP, click on RxSearch, and then click on Patient Request. You will be asked to provide as much information about the patient as you are able. Click search at the bottom of the screen and the system will display the patient report.
- May I share information in the Georgia PDMP with a patient’s insurer?
Information may be shared with a patient’s insurer if the patient has authorized you to make the disclosure, or if the patient’s insurer needs that information in order to provide treatment, payment or health care.
- Will health care practitioners be able to find out what controlled substances might have been previously dispensed by out-of-state dispensers?
The Georgia Department of Public Health has entered into agreements with the states of Alabama, South Carolina, Massachusetts and North Dakota for the purpose of sharing and disseminating data and information in the Georgia PDMP.
- If I believe that an investigation into a health care practitioner may be appropriate, where do I report my concern?
You should report your concerns to the licensing board with regulatory jurisdiction over that health care practitioner
- Are there required steps of action if I suspect a patient is doctor shopping?
You are not required to report a patient whom you suspect of doctor shopping. However, you may wish to discuss your concerns directly with the patient or explore alternatives to the drugs being prescribed.
- If I find that a patient is receiving prescriptions for the same substance I am about to prescribe, am I bound legally or merely advised to withhold my prescription?
The PDMP is a tool for prescribers and the use of PDMP information is left to the prescriber’s clinical judgment and discretion.
GENERAL QUESTIONS AND TECHNICAL ISSUES
- If I have general questions about the Georgia PDMP, how do I resolve them?
For general questions, contact the Georgia Department of Public Health PDMP staff at 404-463-1517 or email pdmp.support@dph.ga.gov.
- If I am having trouble uploading my prescription data what should I do?
Appriss handles all prescription data uploads, so if you are a prescriber or pharmacy having difficulties uploading your data, please call Appriss at 1-855-542-4767 for assistance.
- What do I do if I’ve registered in the Georgia PDMP but I’ve forgotten my password?
Go to https://georgia.pmpaware.net/login and enter your email address. Then click on “reset password.” A link will be emailed to you with instructions on resetting your password.
- How do I register in the Georgia PDMP if I don’t have an NPI number because I don’t take Medicare, Medicaid or any third-party reimbursement?
You must enter 10 digits to register. Use the number “9999999999” to register if you do not take Medicare, Medicaid or third-party reimbursements.
- Do I have to manually key in my assigned login ID each time I log in to Georgia PDMP?
Yes.
- Do all dispensing reports have to be filed electronically?
All dispensing reports must be filed electronically, unless the dispenser has obtained a waiver from the Georgia Department of Public Health on the grounds of undue hardship.
- How do I report if the Georgia PDMP is down?
Please send an email to pdmp.support@dph.ga.gov with as much detail as possible about the issue and your contact information.