Towson, MD – Chesapeake Employers’ Insurance Company recently gave the Maryland Department of Health a gift of $250,000 to help bolster the State’s Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (PDMP) and support the agency’s efforts to combat opioid overdose and abuse in Maryland. The gift was the third and final installment totaling $750,000 over the span of three fiscal years.
“Because we understand the horrific impact that opioid abuse can have on the lives of injured workers, their families, and communities, the opioid addiction epidemic is a critical focus for Chesapeake Employers,” explained Tom Phelan, President and CEO of Chesapeake Employers. “I’m grateful that with the support of our board of directors, we were able to gift these funds to support the state’s initiatives to help curb this devastating epidemic in Maryland.”
Said Clay Stamp, Executive Director of the Opioid Operational Command Center in Maryland: “Combating the heroin and opioid crisis requires an all-hands-on-deck approach. This announcement is an important demonstration of creative partnerships with the private sector that will help us turn the tide of this horriblee epidemic.”
Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs
Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs (PDMPs) are state-run electronic databases used to collect information on the prescribing and dispensing of controlled prescription drugs to patients.
As described by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), PDMPs are designed to allow healthcare practitioners and other users to access information to assist in identifying suspected abuse or channeling drugs into illegal use. In addition, it can give a prescriber or pharmacist critical information regarding a patient’s controlled substance prescription history. This information can help prescribers and pharmacists identify high-risk patients who would benefit from early interventions or changes to their medical care.
Source: CEIC